An understanding of genealogical relationships is necessary before diving into genetically equivalent relationships in your family history. This article will provide an overview of both concepts.
Correctly evaluating shared DNA within the context of genetically equivalent relationships first requires mastery of genealogical relationships. Here we review important genealogical relationships based on some of the pertinent variables. For the sake of simplicity, we limit our analysis to biological relatives and exclude in-law and step relationships.
Immediate Family: These relationships are straightforward: father, mother, sister, brother, son and daughter.
Immediate Family of Ancestors: Your mother’s brother is your maternal uncle. Your father’s sister is your paternal aunt. Your sibling’s child is a niece or nephew. Considering the immediate family members of more distant generations gets more complicated: Your grandfather’s sister is a grand-aunt (sometimes referred to as a great-aunt). The brother of your second great grandmother or (great-great-grandmother) is your second great granduncle (or great-great-granduncle). The relationship to a sibling of an ancestor carries the same prefixes as the relationship to that ancestor. Therefore, a sibling of your third great grandfather will be your third great grand-uncle.
Cousins of the same generation: A first cousin is a child of your aunt or uncle – another grandchild of your common grandparents through a unique descent line. A second cousin is a grandchild of your grand uncle – another great grandchild of your common great grandparents through a unique descent line. If you and a cousin share the same third-great-grandparents, then you are fourth cousins to each other. The number associated with the cousin level is one more than the number of greats in the relationship level of your common ancestors. Therefore, fourth cousins share 3rd great grandparents, fifth cousins share 4th great grandparents and so on. Keep in mind that your relationship to others is dependent on your most recent shared ancestors and not their shared relationships to others. Therefore, you can have third cousins who are in turn, siblings, first cousins or second cousins to each other.
Removed relationships: When you and a relative are not of the same generation, then we describe the relationship by the number of generations removed. Your mother’s first cousin is a first cousin once removed, and you are the generation removed. Your first cousin’s son is also a first cousin once removed, but he is the generation removed. Your grandmother’s second cousin is a second cousin twice removed, and you are two generations removed. Your third cousin’s son is a third cousin once removed, and he is the generation removed. If your head is spinning, consider reviewing our article, “Third Cousins Twice Removed and Consanguinity: Figuring Out How You’re Related to Your Relatives”.
Half relationships: Most relatives share two ancestors in common – a man and a woman who are both members of an ancestral couple. When two individuals share only one common ancestor, we consider them to be half relatives. A son of your mother by a man other than your father is a maternal half-brother. A grandson of your grandfather descended from a woman other than your grandmother is a half first cousin. Note that half relationships only apply if you descend from different partners or spouses of your common ancestor at the generation of your most recent common ancestor. If two of your first cousins were born to your uncle by different spouses, they will still both be first cousins to you even if they are half siblings to each other.
Genetically Equivalent Relationships
Once potential relationships have been estimated, consider genetically equivalent relationships and the genealogical context of a match’s tree. The amount of DNA that two individuals are expected to share with each other depends on the number of generational steps between them and their common ancestor(s). Thus, second cousins and first cousins twice removed are both expected to share similar amounts of DNA since both levels of relationship include six generational steps. In most cases, two genetic cousins will be related through two common ancestors: an ancestral couple. When two individuals only share one ancestor, the amount of DNA they are expected to share in common is cut in half which is equivalent to adding another generational step. As a result, some levels of relationship are genetically equivalent. Half siblings (2 generational steps with one common ancestor) share about 25% of their DNA. An aunt and her nephew (3 generational steps with two common ancestors) also share approximately 25% of their DNA. A grandparent and a grandchild (2 generational steps with one common ancestor – the grandparent) also share approximately 25% of their DNA. A first cousin (four generational steps with two common ancestors) shares about the same amount of DNA as a half-uncle and his half-nephew (three generational steps with one common ancestor). A first cousin once removed (five generational steps with two common ancestors) shares about the same amount as a half first cousin (four generational steps with one common ancestor).
When evaluating the amount of DNA shared with an unknown genetic cousin, consider potential equivalent relationships. When evaluating the amount of DNA shared with known relatives, determine if their amount of shared DNA would be more typical of a half relationship.
Understanding how you relate to others in your family tree can be confusing at times. We’ve created an easy-to-read DNA & Relationship Quick Reference chart to help take the guesswork out of determining family relationships. Download the full-resolution version for free using the button below.
If you need help determing your relationship to a genetic match, or would like help extending your family lines, let Legacy Tree Genealogists provide the research and the extensions to your family tree. Contact us today for a free consultation.
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Paul - Legacy Tree Genealogists Researcher
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How is a person my 4th cousin but not related to my sister.
At some levels of relationship, it is entirely possible to be genealogically related and yet share no DNA with each other. This begins around the level of third cousins. At the level of fourth cousins, around 29% of cousins will share no DNA with each other. The probability of no shared DNA increases the further the relationship is until at the 8th cousin level, there is only a 1% chance that relatives will share DNA. Because you and your sister inherit different portions of your parents’ DNA, and because the DNA you inherit is the basis for the genetic relationships that are determined, it is entirely possible for you to have fourth cousin matches who share DNA with you, but who do not share DNA with your sister.
What do I call our daughter’s relationship to her father’s (my husband’s) great-grandfather’s daughter (for whom she’s named)? Is our daughter a great-great-granddaughter of her namesake? (or is our daughter the namesake?)
Hi Marianne. Your daughter would be the namesake of her great-grandaunt.
My grandfather married wife A and had a son (#1). He later married wife B and had son (#2) and son (#3). Son (#3) is my father. I know that son (#2) is my uncle. Is son (#1) my uncle or half-uncle?
Hi Nate! Since son #1 had a different mother than son #2 and #3, but all share the same father, son #1 would be a half-uncle.
I share 23.6 % DNA with a women who is supposed my Grandmothers Brothers Daughter (First cousin once removed?). Is it possible to share this much DNA with her?
My biological father says that his parents were “Cousins somewhere down the line”.
Hi Sabrina. This amount of shared DNA is more typical of a half sibling or aunt/uncle relationship. It might also be observed between double first cousins or some other combination of multiple close relationships.
I met a guy and my parents said we are related?
My great great grandfather and his great great great grandfather was siblings
What does this make him of me?
Hi Robin. You would be 4th cousins. You can also download our free DNA & Relationship Chart…this is a great quick-reference tool, and shows the approximate amount of shared DNA for each relationship.
I was adopted a few days after birth.
I know who my bio mom is.
I have determined thru Ancestry and 23andme,
that my bio dad is one of 2 or more brothers.
An older (1999) paternity test said the one she thought my bio dad, was not.
Recently I made contact with several descendants of the brothers.
I was pretty sure I had it narrowed down to one of the brothers.
If so I have a 1/2 brother, who has a son.
The son would be my what????
Additionally the son is on 23andme and is showing up as;
my 1st cousin once removed,
that they defined as;
the child of my 1st cousin,
Or a parent of your second cousin. (which isn’t possible in this case.)
So am I back to looking at a different brother?
(I believe my 15 year old mother was with at least 3 of the 5)
5.16% DNA shared, 17 segments
Under the scenario you have proposed, the son of your half brother would be your half nephew. However, the amount of DNA that this individual shares with you is too low for that proposed relationship. More likely this individual is your first cousin once removed and you are the son of one of the other brothers.
If I have a 3rd cousin what would he grandchild be to my grandchild?
Hi Tammi, the relationship would be fifth cousins. You may find this free download helpful: https://legacytree.com/dna-relationship-chart.
Basically not even kin! Thank you
What would I call my great great grandfather’s brother and my great great grandfather’s brother’s wife?
Great Great Grand Uncle & Aunt.
My great grandparents were 1st cousins once removed. I have a living cousin who is my 2nd cousin twice removed through the great grandmother and 3rd cousin once removed through her husband. What is this living cousins actual relationship to me? Is there a way to combine the two relationships to determine a single cousin relationship?
Hi Robert, our free relationships chart may be helpful to you. You can download it at https://www.legacytree.com/dna-relationship-chart.
There is no way to combine these two relationships into a single genetically equivalent relationship level. However, in analyzing the amount of DNA that she shares, it might be worth considering that we would expect roughly 2/3 of any DNA she shares to be from the second cousin twice removed relationship and 1.3 of the DNA she shares to be from the third cousin once removed relationship level.
My mother doesn’t know who her father is we were always told that my grandmother was raped by her father but we’ve taken a DNA test and it shows that my grandmother‘s dad niece is my great aunt would that actually make my mom‘s dad her great grandfather and not her grandfather
My mother’s mom he’s right when she was a kid we were always thought it was her father but now we are assuming that it might’ve been her grandfather we did the 23 and me test and it shows that my grandmother’s cousin is my great aunt
Sorry there was a problem with my phone my mom’s mother was raped when she was 16 we were always told that her her father raped her but me and my siblings had taken the 23 and me DNA test and it shows that my grandma’s cousin is my great aunt wouldn’t that make my great great grandfather and my mom’s dad
If your mother’s parents were closely related, then the double relationship could result in a higher than expected amount of shared DNA with individuals from the same family. Without being able to view the results directly and consider the amounts of shared DNA, it would be difficult to pinpoint the identity of your mother’s biological father. We might recommend ordering a short consultation with a genetic genealogist who can review the results and offer some guidance and interpretation.
is it possible that a nephew could have more of a DNA match than my half sibling
Yes, because uncle/nephew and half-sibling relationships are genetically equivalent, and because there is a range of possible shared DNA, it is entirely possible for a half sibling to share less DNA than a nephew.
Hi Jessica,
Follow up. Is that the same case for a cousin and half-sibling? sorry, I was wrong about it being a nephew.
While not genetically equivalent, there is some overlap in the observed ranges of shared DNA between half siblings and first cousins. While rarer, it is possible for a first cousin to share more DNA than a half sibling.