What does it mean if someone says “We’re _____ cousins, twice removed”?
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Which number of cousin you are tells you how far back in generations the relation is. First cousins share a set of grandparents, second cousins share great-grandparents, and so on.
Number removed tells you the difference in generation from the other person. So if your first cousin has a child, that child is your first cousin, once removed. The relationship you share with them is your grandparents, but their great-grandparents. One generation different, so we say once removed. That child’s child would then be your first cousin, twice removed, and so on.
You x cousin twice removed is your grandparent’s or grandchild’s X cousin. It’s means there are two people on your family try between you and where you would have to be to be X cousins with the other person.
An important part of this is that age has nothing to do with it. It’s all about generations and common ancestors.
Cousins share a common set of ancestors.
x cousins, y removed:
– x is how many generations between you and the common ancestors.
For example first cousins means your parents are between you and your grandparents – and equally your first cousin has THEIR parents between them and those same grandparents.
– y is used if there is an imbalance.
For example, my first cousin’s child is my first cousin, once removed because they have an extra generation between them and that common ancestor.
0 removed isn’t used, so if there’s an equal amount on both sides it’s simply first cousins, second cousins etc
So, YOUR child and your cousin’s child are SECOND COUSINS. Because there’s 2 generations between them and the common ancestor
Cousins are based on generations.
Your first cousin is your regular cousin(your mom/dad’s siblings child).
When you are your cousin both have children, those children are second cousins. If THOSE kids have kids, those kids will be THIRD cousins to each other.
Removed is when you are on different generations. So if your cousin has a child, YOUR relationship to that child is 1st cousin once removed. Your relationship to your cousins grandchild is 1st cousin twice removed.
So, if your cousin has a child and you have a grandchild, the relationship between those kids would be second cousins once removed.
[Vsause](https://youtube.com/shorts/ehhDp_MI_1w?si=b2SDvTD5IW2Xdv78) did a great short video that explains it in an easy to understand way.
[A diagram explaining 1st cousins, 2nd cousins, 1st cousins removed etc. : r/interestingasfuck (reddit.com)](https://www.reddit.com/r/interestingasfuck/comments/8pslo5/a_diagram_explaining_1st_cousins_2nd_cousins_1st/) – I saw this one a while back that shows it visually
You (Claire) have a dad called Alan, his brother Brian is your uncle.
Brian has a son called David.
So, A and B are siblings, C and D are cousins, simple enough so far.
Later in life you have a child Eric and David has a child Frank.
David is still your first cousin, his child is your first cousin once removed (next generation down)
The children E and F are second cousins as their parents are cousins and not siblings.
If they in turn have children, they will be your first cousins twice removed (two generations down) and will be third cousins to each other as their parents are second cousins.
The easy way to remember is to “count the G’s”.
If you share a grandparent- 1G=first cousins, share great grandparents 2G’s= 2nd cousins.
If there’s an uneven number of G’s the difference is the “removed”. So if your grandparent is their great-grandparent, you share one G making you first cousins, but they have an extra G making it first cousins once removed.
This is how I figured it out… sorta…
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