Cousin

For other uses, see Cousin (disambiguation).

"Cousins" redirects here. For other uses, see Cousins (disambiguation).

A cousin is a relative with whom a person shares one or more common ancestors. In the general sense, cousins are two or more generations away from any common ancestor, thus distinguishing a cousin from an ancestor, descendant, sibling, aunt, uncle, niece, or nephew. However, in common parlance, "cousin" normally specifically means "first cousin".

Systems of "degrees" and "removals" are used in the English-speaking world to describe the exact relationship between two cousins (in the broad sense) and the ancestor they have in common. Various governmental entities have established systems for legal use that can more precisely specify kinships with common ancestors existing any number of generations in the past, though common usage often eliminates the degrees and removals and refers to people with common ancestry as simply "distant cousins" or "relatives".

Basic definitions

"First cousin once removed" redirects here. For the documentary film, see First Cousin Once Removed.

The ordinals in the terms "first cousins", "second cousins", "third cousins", refer to the number of generations to one's closest common ancestor. The number of "G" words used to describe this ancestor will determine how close the relationship is. For example, having "Great-Great-Grandparents" in common would be third cousins.

When the cousins are not the same generation, they are described as "removed". In this case, the smaller number of generations to the common ancestor is used to determine the degree, and the difference in generations determines the number of times removed. Note that the ages of the cousins are irrelevant to the definition of the cousin relationship.

First cousins The children of two siblings. First cousins share grandparents. David and Emma are first cousins because they are non-siblings who share a pair of grandparents.
Second cousins The children of first cousins. Second cousins share great grandparents. Frank and Gloria are second cousins because they are non-first cousins who share great-grandparents. In other words, Frank's and Gloria's parents are cousins.
Third cousins The grandchildren of two first cousins; also the children of two second cousins. Third cousins share great-great-grandparents. Harry and Isabelle are third cousins because they are non-second cousins who share great-great-grandparents.
First cousins once removed Two people for whom a first cousin relationship is one generation removed. The child of one's first cousin; also the first cousin of one's parent. Frank and his father's first cousin, Emma, are first cousins once removed. There exist numerous terms for first cousins once removed that describe the relationship more specifically: For a male in the higher generation, "cousin-uncle" or "second uncle" For a female in the higher generation, "cousin-aunt" or "second aunt" For a male in the lower generation, "cousin-nephew" or "second nephew" For a female in the lower generation, "cousin-niece" or "second niece"
First cousins twice removed Two people for whom a first cousin relationship is two generations removed. The grandchild of one's first cousin; also the first cousin of one's grandparent. Harry and his grandfather's first cousin, Emma, are first cousins twice removed. There exist numerous addition terms to describe the relationship of first cousin twice removed more specifically and accurately: For a male in a higher generation, "second granduncle" or "cousin-granduncle" For a female in a higher generation, "second grandaunt" or "cousin-grandaunt" For a male in a lower generation, "second grandnephew" or "cousin-grandnephew" For a female in a lower generation, "second grandniece" or "cousin-grandniece"
Second cousins once removed Two people for whom a second cousin relationship is one generation removed. The child of one's second cousin; also the second cousin of one's parent. Harry and his father's second cousin, Gloria, are second cousins once removed. There are more ways in which this type of relationship can be described more specifically: For a male in a higher generation, "third uncle" or "second cousin-uncle" For a female in a higher generation, "third aunt" or "second cousin-aunt" For a male in a lower generation, "third nephew" or "second cousin-nephew" For a female in a lower generation, "third niece" or "second cousin-niece"

Additional terms

The following is a list of less common cousin terms.

Term	Definition	Example	Chart
Double cousin	Double cousins arise when two siblings of one family mate with two siblings of another family. The resulting children are related to each other through both of their parents and are thus doubly related. Double first cousins share both sets of grandparents and have twice the degree of consanguinity of ordinary first cousins; genetically, they are as related as half-siblings. Double second cousins can arise in two ways: from two first-cousin relationships among their parents or from one double-first-cousin relationship between their parents.	David and Irene are double first cousins because each is related through their mother's family and also their father's family, the result of a brother and sister (Ben and Helen) having married another brother and sister (Hugh and Betty). For David and Irene, each has a mother who is an aunt by blood of the other and a father who is an uncle by blood of the other.
Half-cousin	Half-cousins are the children of two half-siblings, and their respective spouses.	David and Lilian are half cousins because their fathers (Ben and James) are maternal half-brothers, their grandmother (Agatha) having remarried.
Step-cousin	Step-cousins are either stepchildren of an individual's aunt or uncle or nieces and nephews of one's step-parent.	David and Mary are step-cousins because David's uncle (Charles) has become Mary's stepfather as a result of Mary's mother (Corinda) having remarried.
Cousin-in-law	A cousin-in-law is the spouse of an individual's cousin or the cousin of one's spouse.	David and Eric are first cousins-in-law to each other because Eric's wife (Emma) is David's first cousin.
Maternal or paternal cousin	A term that specifies whether one individual is a cousin of another through the mother's side of the family (maternal) or the father's side (paternal). If the relationship is not equally paternal for both or equally maternal for both, then the paternal cousin of one is the maternal cousin of the other.	Emma and David are paternal first cousins (being related through their fathers). Emma is also Natalia's paternal first cousin (as related on Natalia's father's side), but Natalia is Emma's maternal first cousin (as related on Emma's mother's side). David and Natalia would only be related if they shared a common ancestor.

Kissing cousins are defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as "relatives or friends with whom one is on close enough terms to greet with a kiss".

Relationship charts

Cousin chart

A "cousin chart", or "table of consanguinity", is helpful in identifying the degree of cousin relationship between two people using their most recent common ancestor as the reference point. Cousinship between two people can be specifically described in degrees and removals by determining how close, generationally, the common ancestor is to each person.

If one person's →		Grandparent	Great-grandparent	Great-great-grandparent	Great-great-great-grandparent	Great-great-great-great-grandparent
Is the other person's ↓	Then they are ↘
Grandparent		1st cousins	1st cousins once removed	1st cousins twice removed	1st cousins thrice removed	1st cousins four times removed
Great-grandparent		1st cousins once removed	2nd cousins	2nd cousins once removed	2nd cousins twice removed	2nd cousins thrice removed
Great-great-grandparent		1st cousins twice removed	2nd cousins once removed	3rd cousins	3rd cousins once removed	3rd cousins twice removed
Great-great-great-grandparent		1st cousins thrice removed	2nd cousins twice removed	3rd cousins once removed	4th cousins	4th cousins once removed
Great-great-great-great-grandparent		1st cousins four times removed	2nd cousins thrice removed	3rd cousins twice removed	4th cousins once removed	5th cousins

Canon law relationship chart

Canon Law Relationship Chart. See an example of how to use chart.

Another visual chart used in determining the legal relationship between two people who share a common ancestor is based upon a diamond shape, usually referred to as a "canon law relationship chart".

The chart is used by placing the "common progenitor" (the most recent person from whom both people (A and B) are descended) in the top space in the diamond-shaped chart, and assigning a direction (arbitrarily, left or right) to each of the two people, A and B. Then follow the line down the outside edge of the chart for each of the two people until their respective relationship to the common ancestor is reached. Upon determining that place along the opposing outside edge for each person, their relationship is then determined by following the lines inward to the point of intersection. The information contained in the common "intersection" defines the relationship.

For a simple example, in the illustration to the right, if two siblings use the chart to determine their relationship, their common parent (either one, if there are two) is placed in the topmost position, and each child is assigned the space below and along the outside of the chart. Then, following the spaces inward, they would intersect in the "brother" diamond. If their children want to determine their relationship, they would follow the path established by their parents but descend an additional step below along the outside of the chart (showing that they are grandchildren of the common progenitor); following their respective lines inward, they would come to rest in the space marked "1st cousin". In cases where one side descends the outside of the diamond further than the other side because of additional generations removed from the common progenitor, following the lines inward shows both the cousin rank (1st cousin, 2nd cousin) plus the number of times (generations) "removed".

In the example provided at the right, generations one (child) through ten (8th great-grandchild) from the common progenitor are provided; however, the format of the chart can easily be expanded to accommodate any number of generations needed to resolve the question of relationship.

See also

• Collateral descendant
• Consanguinity
• Cousin marriage
• Family
• Parallel and cross cousins

External links

• European kinship system
• Genealogy.com definition of various cousins
• Genealogy.com: What makes a cousin?
• Genetic Genealogy
• Family Relationship Chart