Relationship terminology can be confusing, but we've compiled a guide to explain how you are related to that cousin three times removed.
How are we related?
That’s a question that we have been asked quite a bit lately, and sometimes determining that exact familial connection with someone else can be confusing.
- What is the difference between a second cousin and a first cousin, once removed?
- What does the “removed” mean, anyway?
- If my mom has a cousin, how is he related to me?
- Is my grandfather’s sister my great-aunt, or my grand-aunt?
If you have ever felt confusion over these terms, you are not alone!
Most of us know that our parents’ siblings’ children are our first cousins, and that our parents’ siblings themselves are our aunts and uncles. That’s easy enough to understand. It’s when you get to more distant connections that it becomes confusing.
If you share the same grandparents, there is no difference in the generations, so you are first cousins. If you share the same great-grandparents, you are second cousins. If you share the same great-great-grandparents you are third cousins, and so on.
However, if your grandparents are someone else’s great-grandparents, then you are first cousins once removed, because there is a generational gap between you. The thing to remember is that the “removed” is used when you and your relative are of different generations. For instance, you and your cousin’s child, or you and your father’s cousin are of different generations, so there is going to be a “removed” in a description of your relationship.
The numerical value, “once removed” or “three times removed,” counts back how many generations you have to go to find the common ancestor between you and that other relative.
For example, if your first cousin has children, those children are your first cousins once removed, because your grandparents are their great-grandparents (just one generation). If those children then have children, they are your first cousins twice removed, because your grandparents are their great-great-grandparents (which is two generations).
Similarly, your mom’s cousin is your first cousin once removed, because his grandparents are your great-grandparents. There is a generational difference. However, your mom’s cousin’s CHILD is your second cousin with no “removed” added, because the two of you share the same great-grandparents. There is no generational difference between the two of you, so there is no “remove.”
With regards to the difference between great-aunt, grand-aunt, etc. – this one is up to you! They're just different terms that mean the same thing. The siblings of your grandparents can be called either your great-aunts and great-uncles, or your grand-aunts and grand-uncles.
The following chart may be helpful:
The following DNA & Relationship Quick Reference Chart also helps identify the % of shared DNA between you and other relatives. Get your free pdf version here.
Looking to discover some of those great-great-grandparents? Trying to find out who your third cousin twice removed married? Wondering how your family is related to someone who shares your name? Legacy Tree Genealogists would be happy to help you discover the people you are related to and help you determine how you are related to them! Contact us to discuss your goals and get started!
What type of cousins have the same grandmother but different grandfathers ie gramma had 2 husbands
Me and my friend have the same 3rd cousin, does that make us related?
Depends on if that third cousin is related to you through the same people. They may be your third cousin on one side of their family, the side related to you, and they may be your friend’s third cousin on the other side of the family, the one not related to you.
Ok so I’m confused. So I’m dating this guy and his name is Jacob Schleichardt. Jacob has a cousin named Bailey Lane and she’s related to Nate Lane and my cousin Mikayla is married now to Nate. Does that make me and Jacob cousins too or no?
We would love to help you but we would need some additional information. Please contact us by filling out the form on our home page http://www.legacytree.com. We can point you in the right direction and give you a free estimate if research is needed.
My 4th great grandparents Fielding and Delphia have a daughter Geneviere and a son Stephen.
Stephen marries Nancy and they have a son, Sylvester.
Geneviere marries Phillip and they have a daughter, Hannah.
Sylvester and Hannah marry and have a son Cassius.
Cassius is my Grandmother’s father.
What is the relationship of Sylvester and Hannah to my grandmother other than her grandparents? Aunt and Uncle?
Other than parents, what is the relationship of Sylvester and Hannah? 1st cousins?
Thanks
If I understand your explanation correctly, Sylvester and Hannah would be great grand-aunt and great grand-uncle to your grandmother. You are correct, Sylvester and Hannah are first cousins. If you want to double-check this quick assessment, I suggest you contact us for a consultation session with a researcher.
My 6th great grand uncle is the same person as George Herbert Walker Bush’s 4th great grandfather. What is the relationship between me and George Bush?
Thanks!
If we understand your question correctly, this would make you 4th cousins, twice removed. It is always interesting to find you are distant relatives to someone notable.
MY GREAT GRANFATHER HAD 11 CHILDREN, WHAT ARE THEY TO ME?
Hi Greg,
If you would like research assistance, we are here to help. Our team conducts detailed, personalized research in millions of family history records, spanning hundreds of years to tell you who your ancestors were, where they lived and much more. To get started, please complete this form to request a free quote, and a member of our Client Solutions Team will reach out to you.
If someone’s great grandma is my great grandpa’s sister, what is that person to me?
Hi Delaney, thank you for reaching out to us! Here is a link to a handy and free Legacy Tree Genealogy family chart that you can download. This should answer your question! If you would like any assistance, feel free to contact us on our Get in Touch page for a free estimate on family tree research.
I’m confused. We don’t have the same grandparent’s but our grandparents are related (cousins). Fil’s grandma is related with Mad’s grandpa. Does it mean that Fil’s father is also related with Mad’s mother? How about us (children of both side)? What level of degree are we?
Help me. Thanks.
Hi Maria,
We would love to help you but we would need some additional information (sometimes family histories can seem confusing, especially without detailed research). Please contact us by filling out the form on our Get in Touch page. One of our Client Solutions Specialists can point you in the right direction and give you a free estimate if research is needed.
My husband’s DNA test results show my mother is his 4th cousin. What does that make my husband to me? A 4th cousin, once removed? A 5th cousin? I’m so confused. Does that make my husband our daughter’s distance cousin as well? 🤦♀️🤔🙄😣
Hi MD, DNA tests can yield confusing results for a variety of reasons. We have researchers who specialize in DNA that could pull data together and combine i with other resources to help fill in some of the blanks. Please contact our Client Solutions Specialists through the form on our Get in Touch page. They can point you in the right direction and provide a free estimate if research is needed.
So me and my best friend met in band class this year. Her Great Uncle is my 1st cousins dad what does that make her to me?
Through research, I have discovered that my maternal aunt married my 12th cousin on my father’s side. If I understand correctly, does that make his daughter, who is my first cousin on my mother’s side, my 12th cousin once removed on my father’s side? Also, how are my father and this uncle related?
Hi so my auntie is dating my friends uncle does that make us cousins or anything
Hi Dylan, thank you for your question, although the answer is no – your aunt dating your friend’s uncle does not make you cousins. If you are interested in learning about your family history, please contact us by filling out the form on our Get in Touch page. We can give you a free estimate based on your needs.
What does it mean if my dads mom (grandma) gets married to my aunts mom, but my aunts husband is my dads brother??
In this case, your aunt’s mom would be your step-grandparent. If your aunt and your dad’s brother have any children, then your cousins’ maternal grandmother would also be their paternal step-grandparent.
If my grandpa had my child with someone but they never got married and she breaks up with him and gets with someone else and has 2 more kids then are her other 2 kids related to me whatsoever?
How is the child that your grandfather had with this woman related to you? Is it your father or mother?
I didn’t mean to say my child I meant to say a child but anyways the child is my uncle aka my moms half brother
Based on this description, you would not be biologically related to your half-uncle’s maternal half siblings.
so im not related to my uncles brothers??
That is correct. Biologically you are not related to your half-uncle’s maternal half siblings.
thank goodness because I think his brother likes me
That is helpful then to not be related:)
But like if me and his brother ever got together wouldn’t that be weird?
Not from a DNA standpoint since you aren’t biologically related. For family dynamics that would be a personal decision, I suppose.
Hi…so am dating this guy,,his father’s step mother is my auntie but from a step grandmother…are we related?
Based on this description, you are not biologically related. So that’s good news since you are dating.
My 11th Great Grandfather is the 4th G. Grandfather of President James Madison and the 9th G. Grandfather of President Theodore Roosevelt. How then am I related to these two Presidents?
Assuming that you descend from your common ancestor through the same spouse (rather than through another wife), you would be 5th cousins 7 times removed to James Madison and 11th cousins twice removed from Theodore Roosevelt. If you or they descend from a different spouse of your common ancestor, then they could be half 5th cousins 7 times removed or half 11th cousins twice removed respectively.
Thank you! I wasn’t expecting such a quick response so I did the research and came to with the same as you. 5th Cousin 7 X Removed to Madison and Teddy Roosevelt’s 11th Cousin. Although I didn’t get the twice removed
Would it make much of a difference that I am actually directly related to Sir Richards daughter Ann Williamson – Place? She is my 10th Great Grandmother. I assume this would just lower the numbers by one? Madison: 4th G. Grandfather 6 times removed and Roosevelt 10th Cousin once removed?
That is correct. What a fun family tree.
Thank you! Actually this particular relationship is one of three places my Paternal Amburgey and Maternal Allen meets. Sir Richards Mother is an Alleyne “Allen” (directly related) and daughter Ann is related back to my 2nd G. Grandmother, wife of William “Tanner Bill” Amburgey. So related twice in this spot. Benjamin Franklin 5th G. G.G., Sir Isaac Newton 10th, Shakespeare 11th, Robert the Bruce 20th. Pocahontas 6th, All Stewart Kings of Scotland, King Richard II “The Lion Heart 18th, & dozens more back to 0530 AD.
That’s an incredible family tree with so many connections. Thanks for sharing.
Well, I have been working on my Relationship with Queen Elizabeth II and I have her as my 13th Cousin. Genetics are sometimes difficult to understand as I am closer to President Theodore Roosevelt and President James Madison. Well, happy that I at least watched the Funeral on TV. LOL.
I have about 21,500 people in my Tree so with that many connections people just keep coming up. I am working on Queen Elizabeth II now, starting with King Henry VII. But have found, so far, that we are related thru Mary Stewart Queen of Scots, (My 11th G. Grand-Aunt), for sure. Seems to be a direct line from there down to Queen Elizabeth II.
If you don’t mind I could use your help to figure our exact relationship. If so I will give you my email incase I loose you: [email protected].
It may work best to set up a consultation with a genetic genealogist to be able to confirm and establish all of the relationships in question. You can schedule a consultation at: http://www.legacytree.com/genealogy-consultation. That way you get get all your questions answered at one time.
Thank you! It rained all weekend so I spent some research time and did all the tracing myself and it took 15 connections to get to Elizabeth II and King Charles II, of present day. Turns out Queen Elizabeth was my 13th Cousin and that makes the King my 13 Cousin 1 X Removed. Also, along the way, found King Henry VIII as my 13th Great granduncle. I have always loved History, even since School and College, so this is fun.
I am now going to search more on my 19th Great Grandfather; King Charles IV of Bohemia (1319-1378). He was King of Bohemia, King of Italy and Holy Roman Emperor. If interested, I’ll let you know.
Tandy L. Amburgey
so my mom and uncle have the same dad (my grandpa) but different moms so if my uncles mom has 2 sons with another man are her sons related to me?
I believe this is the same question you were asking before. Biologically you are not related to your half-uncle’s maternal half siblings.
Isaac and Adam are paternal first cousins.
Isaac’s son Robert is my father.
Neil is Adam’s son.
What is my relationship to Neil?
Hi Cheryl, thank you for reaching out to us in such a fun way! Here is a link to a handy and free Legacy Tree Genealogy family chart that you can download. This should answer your question! If you would like any assistance, feel free to contact us on our Get in Touch page for a free estimate on family tree research.
What would be my grandfather’s cousin’s sister’s grandson be to me?
Hi, Ivy! Your third cousin.
My mother-in-law was impregnated by her father’s brother (her uncle) and had a son (in the 1940s). Later she married her husband, had another son who had a daughter. That granddaughter shows up in geneology as 1st cousins to her first son. Not sure how?
Hi Kiera! What an interesting circumstance! The first son would be a half uncle to the granddaughter. On average half uncles share about 12.5%, which is the same as you would see from a full first cousin relationship. When Ancestry and other testing sites give you a proposed relationship to someone, they often cherry pick a likely relationship from the spectrum of possible relationships. Hope this helps!
what relation is my mother’s 3rd great grandfather’s son’s daughter to me
Hi Helen! First cousin, 4-times removed. Hope that helps!
My grandma is related to his mom does this make us related and if so what r we?
I was born to Jean Taylor in the Royal Women’s Hospital on 18th August 1939 and was taken to a Catholic Baby’s Home ( so I believe.) Later i was adopted by Charles and Lena Hill
When i was in my late 40,s I found out i was adopted. I later traced my mother but I didn’t get much information. She said she had been raped by someone she knew The name Bill Dosser did come up but I don’t know if he was my father
Hi Robert! Such an interesting mystery. You could schedule a consultation with someone on our DNA team here to get some more help with your question.
Trying to find the name of my biological father
If a person’s parents are first cousins with my grandfather’s second cousin, who are they to me?
should be your third cousin once removed
Hi Neil!
Assuming the parent that is a first cousin to grandpa’s 2C is also a 2C to the Granpda.
If the parent is related to the 2C through a different line than 2C shares with the grandpa, there’s no relation–no blood relation at least.
My mother and father have the same great great grandfather+mother (they had 2 sons, my mother is the great grandchild of one son and my father is the great grandchild of the other son).
Is that 3rd cousins or 3rd cousins once removed?
Hi Mary! Third cousins. They are both second great grandchildren of the same couple.
Hi!
I am trying to figure out the following: my son’s second cousin-in-law (is this a thing?), i.e. my maternal aunt’s husband is my uncle-in law. His cousin has a child, who is then my son’s second cousin-in-law (if I’m correct?). What title would my mom have in relation to my son’s second cousin-in-law? Very grateful for any and all help here.
Hi Asa! Here’s what our professionals had to say about your question:
No direct relationship. Your aunt’s husband is technically her uncle by marriage, not uncle in law. Uncle’s cousin has no relationship to you or your mom, though technically he could be called your aunt’s cousin-in-law (cousin of her aunt’s husband) but that’s the closest thing to a connection. That cousin’s son has no relationship to you, your son, or your mom that can easily be described. Closest would be:
mom – sister’s husband’s first cousin once removed
son – great-aunt’s husband’s first cousin once removed
There are not official terms in the English language for the blood relatives of an in law by marriage (such as your maternal aunt’s husband’s parents, siblings, etc). People often use terms that aren’t technically accurate. For example two women who marry a pair of brothers may refer to each other as sisters in law, even though the correct term in English would be “my brother in law’s wife.” Even the term brother in law gets confusing because we use the words brother/sister in law to refer to the spouse of our sibling, or the sibling of our spouse. Some other languages have different terms for these different relationships but we don’t. Brandt’s terminology is correct, though you also could shorten the phrases to “my brother in law’s first cousin once removed” and “my great uncle in law’s first cousin once removed.” But yeah this adds in the murkiness of the multiple meanings of in-law.
Hope this helps!
I’m grateful for your informative post about what rights do grandparents have in Canada. This knowledge is essential for promoting strong intergenerational relationships and maintaining the well-being of children.
So glad this article is meaningful for you, Arthur!
I understand that my first cousin’s great-grandchildren are my cousins, thrice removed. What is my daughter’s relationship to them (if any)?
I recently found out that a friend and I are distantly related.
Her paternal aunt is my mothers cousin. They would share the same paternal grandparents.
What would the familial relationship be between us? I tried to sort it out with the table in the article but I got a little confused.
Thanks for the assistance!
Hi Lindsey! Such a fun discovery! We’d love to help you sort out the relationship. You can schedule a consultation here to ask one of our professional genealogists.
If my mother (Lily) and Toby are cousins, and Toby and Gloria are cousins, but Lily and Gloria are not blood-related, what is my relationship with Gloria’s children?
I have this friend. She thinks that her mother’s cousin is her aunt. Is this true?
Hi Charlotte, it’s hard to say definitively without more information. However, an aunt would typically be your mother’s sister, not her cousin. Many people use the term “aunt” to refer to any elder in the community or family.
If I understand what I’ve read, my husband’s niece is not my niece. And, therefore, I don’t say she is my niece through marriage. Is this accurate? Thank you for your response
Hi JoAnn! Your husband’s niece would be considered your niece in law, or your niece through marriage. She would not be a genetic relative to you, but would be a niece in law or relative by marriage, just like her parent (your husband’s sibling) is your brother or sister in law.
Me and my boyfriend found out that our great-grandmothers are 1st cousins. How related are we?
Hi Tina! You are fourth cousins. And about 50 percent of the time fourth cousins aren’t close enough to even match on a DNA test. So not a terribly close relationship!
How much does this cost?
Hi Carla! Could you clarify your question? The DNA quick reference chart is free–you can download a free PDF here: http://www.legacytree.com/dna-relationship-chart
If you’re inquiring about a full genealogy research project, you can see more information about pricing/cost here: http://www.legacytree.com/projects
Question: found out my great great grandmother is my boyfriend’s grandfather’s sister. How are we related?
Hello, B! You are second cousins twice removed. He is a second cousin to one of your grandparents because they and he share great grandparents, and the twice removed means you are two generations younger than him in that family.
What relationship would I be to her if her maternal grandfather is my paternal grandfather’s uncle?
I am a male and my male first cousin (our mom’s are sister’s) is married to my wife’s sister.( they are sisters they share the same mom and dad and have no relationship to us). We both have children with our wives. What are the ways are children are related.
Hi….i just wanna know if my great grandmother and his grandfather are brother and sister…how are we related
My grandmother and her mother shared the same husband and they both had kids. So if my mom and my grandmas sister are half sister because they share the same dad. Is my moms/ grandmothers sister son is my uncle and cousin ?
My 1st cousin Bill (my mom’s sister’s son) marries my friend who has children. Does my friend become my 2nd cousin one removed? and although her children are not DNA related, what do i call them?
if I am related to my cousins through her mother (my aunt), am I related to her fathers side of the family as well? Would we be related by marriage? Would her second cousins on her fathers side be my second cousins by marriage?