What Cousin, How Many Times Removed?

No matter how many times someone explained to me how to figure out the relationship with distant cousins, I never understood how to figure it out. I’ve met quite a few people through my blog who share ancestors with me and I wanted to learn how we are connected. I’m going to break it down as simply as I can.

Cousins

In order to determine what cousin you are to another descendant, you have to find your common ancestor. If it is your 3x great-grandparent, and a fellow descendants 3x great-grandfather, then you are fourth cousins. This is the easy part.

• Same parents? Siblings
• Same grandparents? First cousins.
• Same 1x great-grandparents? Second cousins.
• Same 2x great-grandparents? Third cousins.
• Same 3x great-grandparents? Fourth cousins.
• Same 4x great-grandparents? Fifth cousins.
• Same 5x great-grandparents? Sixth cousins.
• Same 6x great-grandparents? Seventh cousins.
• Same 7x great-grandparents? Eighth cousins.

I will also note here, that if you only have one grandparent in common, due to second or third marriages, the genealogical world considers that you are half-blood cousins.

Removed

If your number doesn’t come out the same, you need to find out how many generations it takes to connect differing generations to the same ancestor. This is much easier than it sounds! To decide on what cousin you are to each other, you go with the lower number.

If they are your 4x great-grandparents and the other person’s 6x great-grandparents, then you are fifth cousins. How many times removed? All you have to do is subtract the lower number from the higher number. So, fifth cousins twice removed.

I recently connected with a woman who shares ancestors with me. My 3x great-grandparents Bailey Harrison Whitcher and Ordelia Lozier are her 4x great-grandparents. Which makes us fourth cousins, once removed.

If you are someone who needs a visual, this graph should help:

Your à vs. Their:	Grand	1x Great	2x Great	3x Great	4x Great	5x Great	6x Great	7x Great
Grand	First Cousin	First Cousin Once Removed	First Cousin Twice Removed	First Cousin 3x Removed	First Cousin 4x Removed	First Cousin 5x Removed	First Cousin 6x Removed	First Cousin 7x Removed
1x Great	First Cousin Once Removed	Second Cousin	Second Cousin Once Removed	Second Cousin Twice Removed	Second Cousin 3x Removed	Second Cousin 4x Removed	Second Cousin 5x Removed	Second Cousin 6x Removed
2x Great	First Cousin Twice Removed	Second Cousin Once Removed	Third Cousin	Third Cousin Once Removed	Third Cousin Twice Removed	Third Cousin 3x Removed	Third Cousin 4x Removed	Second Cousin 5x Removed
3x Great	First Cousin 3x Removed	Second Cousin Twice Removed	Third Cousin Once Removed	Fourth Cousin	Fourth Cousin Once Removed	Fourth Cousin Twice Removed	Fourth Cousin 3x Removed	Fourth Cousin 4x Removed
4x Great	First Cousin 4x Removed	Second Cousin 3x Removed	Third Cousin Twice Removed	Fourth Cousin Once Removed	Fifth Cousin	Fifth Cousin Once Removed	Fifth Cousin Twice Removed	Fifth Cousin 3x Removed
5x Great	First Cousin 5x Removed	Second Cousin 4x Removed	Third Cousin 3x Removed	Fourth Cousin Twice Removed	Fifth Cousin Once Removed	Sixth Cousin	Sixth Cousin Once Removed	Sixth Cousin Twice Removed
6x Great	First Cousin 6x Removed	Second Cousin 5x Removed	Third Cousin 4x Removed	Fourth Cousin 3x Removed	Fifth Cousin Twice Removed	Sixth Cousin Once Removed	Seventh Cousin	Seventh Cousin Once Removed
7x Great	First Cousin 7x Removed	Second Cousin 6x Removed	Third Cousin 5x Removed	Fourth Cousin 4x Removed	Fifth Cousin 3x Removed	Sixth Cousin Twice Removed	Seventh Cousin Once Removed	Eighth Cousin

Somewhere we are all related. I have met fourth cousins and twenty-third cousins twice removed. I meet everyone with that thought in my heart. No matter our differences, somewhere we are cousins.