What is a Cousin?

How to figure out 1st, 2nd, 3rd... cousin, and how many times removed that cousin is.

Determine which number (e.g. 4 greats) grandparent is the common ancestor between two individuals. If the number is the same, you are not removed (you are within the same generation based on the common ancestor). For example, if the common ancestor is your 4th gr-grandparent and the other person's 4th gr-grandparent, then add 1 to the 4. You are 5th cousins.

e.g. You are:

• 1st cousins if you share the same grandparents
• 2nd cousins if you share the same gr-grandparents
• 3rd cousins if you share the same gr-gr-grandparents
• 4th cousins if you share the same gr-gr-gr-grandparents
• and so on...

The cousin part of the phrase, '1st cousin,' '2nd cousin,' '3rd cousin,' etc., describes the relationship of two people who are/were in the same generation.

What is Removed?

Determine which number (e.g. 4 greats) of the grandparent is between you and the ancestor, and the number between the other person and the same ancestor. If the number is not the same, then you and the other person are from different generations based on the common ancestor. You would then add 1 to the smaller number giving the "cousins" portion, then subtract the smaller from the larger giving the "removed" portion.

For example, if the common ancestor is your 5th gr-grandparent and the other person's 3rd gr-grandparent, add 1 to the smaller number (3) giving 4 (the cousin part), then subtract 3 from the larger number (5) giving 2 (the removed part). You are 4th cousins, twice removed.

The removed part is how many generations it takes to get to the same cousin number, between two people.