Count that Cousin! 

Just who is that fifth cousin, three times removed? How am I related to my father's mother's  uncle's granddaughter? (Click here for the answers.)

Determining degrees of "cousin-ness" must surely be one of genealogy's most confusing problems. Most people know that the children of siblings are first cousins, but after that they are completely muddled. Some can even manage the "number cousins," but "the removes" leave them cold. And relationships like the ones that open this page give them a headache. Well, believe it or not, there is actually an easy way to figure them all out. 

First, we have to know that "number cousins" (first, second, etc.) belong to the same generation. For example, a couple's grandchildren will all be first cousins to each other, while the same couple's great-grandchildren will all be second cousins to each other. Then it's a simple matter of counting how many generations separate the cousins from their common ancestor, not including that common ancestor or the people whose relationship is being calculated. For example: 

1. Great-grandfather David

2. Grandparents

3 Parents

4. John and Mary

Not counting David, or John and Mary, there are two generations between. Thus, John and Mary are second cousins. Easy, eh?

For many people, just the thought of trying to figure out the number of removes between cousins is enough to make them feel faint. Genealogists are made of sterner stuff. Removes are a little more complicated, but not much. All you have to remember is that "number cousins" are in the same generation (across) and the removes are different generations (down).   Have a look at the sample tree below, where we will use folks from the previous example.

David

_______________|______________

|                                                              |

child        Jane                    Siblings                       Agnes             

|                                                             |

grandchild       James             1st Cousins                   Thomas                      

|                                                             |

   great-grandchild   Robert              2nd Cousins                      Margaret                               

|                                                              |

great-great-grandchild   John             3rd Cousins                      Mary                                    

Since three generations separate them from David, it's pretty obvious that John and Mary are third cousins to each other, but did you also recognise that Mary and James are first cousins twice removed? (I.e., Mary is the second generation down from James' first cousin.) Or that John and Margaret are second cousins once removed? (I.e., John is the next generation down from Margaret's second cousin.) See? I told you it was easy.

David

_________________|________________

|                                                                    |

   Jane                          Siblings                       Agnes

|                                                                    |

James                     1st Cousins                   Thomas

                                                                    |

                       1st Cousin, once removed      Margaret

                                                                     |

                     1st Cousin, twice removed       Mary