Relationship calculator
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Think of the closest ancestor you and your relative both descend from.
Your relative is your
2nd cousin once removed
and you are their 2nd cousin once removed.
You share the same great-grandparents. You are 3 generations below them; your relative is 4. Cousins are numbered by the generation of the closer one (2nd cousins share great-grandparents), and "once removed" counts the 1 generation between you.
New to this? Relationships, explained walks through how to count it yourself, with a quiz.
Go deeperShared DNA and degrees of relationship
On average, people related this way share about 1.56% of their DNA. Real pairs vary, and past 3rd cousins many share none that a test can detect.
Civil-law degree 7 (steps up plus steps down, used in most US inheritance law); canon-law degree 4 (the longer side, used in old church marriage records).
Cousin chart
Down the side: what the shared ancestor is to you. Across the top: to your relative. Tap a square to use it.
| Ancestor is your ↓ / their → | parent | grandparent | great-grandparent | 2nd great-grandparent | 3rd great-grandparent | 4th great-grandparent | 5th great-grandparent | 6th great-grandparent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| parent | ||||||||
| grandparent | ||||||||
| great-grandparent | ||||||||
| 2nd great-grandparent | ||||||||
| 3rd great-grandparent | ||||||||
| 4th great-grandparent | ||||||||
| 5th great-grandparent | ||||||||
| 6th great-grandparent |
You may think this order of things to be very particular; but let me tell you that it is only to answer the will of God, by conforming to the ordinance and preparation that the Lord ordained and prepared before the foundation of the world, for the salvation of the dead who should die without a knowledge of the gospel.
Questions
What does "once removed" mean?
Removed counts the generations between two cousins. Your 1st cousin's child is your 1st cousin once removed, because they're one generation below you. You're also their 1st cousin once removed: the relationship is the same in both directions.
What's the difference between a 2nd cousin and a 1st cousin once removed?
2nd cousins are in the same generation and share great-grandparents. A 1st cousin once removed shares your grandparents (or you share theirs) but is one generation up or down.
What is a half cousin?
Half relationships come from sharing only one ancestor of a couple, for example when a grandparent remarried. Half 1st cousins share one grandparent instead of two.
Is a great-aunt the same as a grand-aunt?
Yes. Your grandparent's sister is your great-aunt; some families and genealogists call her your grand-aunt. Your great-grandparent's sister is your 2nd great-aunt (great-great-aunt).
How are step-relatives counted?
Step-relationships come through marriage, not descent, so there's no shared ancestor. Families usually add "step" to the word they'd use otherwise: your stepfather's grandfather is your step-grandfather. On TempleKit cards you can tick "Step relative" and the side is named after the step-parent.