Relationships, explained
Free · runs in your browser · nothing you type is uploaded
In plain words
A 2nd cousin twice removed is…
…one of two people: your 2nd cousin's grandchild (younger than you), or your grandparent's 2nd cousin (older than you). Both are called the same thing.
Reading 1: they're younger than you
That's your 2nd cousin's grandchild, 2 generations below you.
- Find the ancestors you share. Here it's your great-grandparents.
- Count the generations down to each of you. You are 3 below them; your relative is 5 below.
- Take the smaller count and subtract one. 3 − 1 = 2, so you're 2nd cousins.
- The difference between the counts is how many times removed. 5 − 3 = 2, so “twice removed”.
It works both ways: you are their 2nd cousin twice removed too.
Go deeperHow much DNA do you share?
On average, two people related like this share about 0.78% (1 in 128) of their DNA.
That's the average. Real pairs vary a lot, because each child inherits a random half of each parent's DNA. Past 3rd cousins, many real cousins share no detectable DNA at all, which is why the paper trail still matters.
Go deeperDegrees of relationship (the legal count)
Civil-law degree: 8. Count every step from you up to the shared ancestor and down to your relative (3 + 5). Most US states use this count in inheritance law.
Canon-law degree: 5. Count only the longer side. Historic church marriage records often say things like “related in the 5th degree”, and a dispensation was needed for close degrees.
Reading 2: they're older than you
That's your grandparent's 2nd cousin, 2 generations above you.
- Find the ancestors you share. Here it's your 3rd great-grandparents.
- Count the generations down to each of you. You are 5 below them; your relative is 3 below.
- Take the smaller count and subtract one. 3 − 1 = 2, so you're 2nd cousins.
- The difference between the counts is how many times removed. 5 − 3 = 2, so “twice removed”.
It works both ways: you are their 2nd cousin twice removed too.
Go deeperHow much DNA do you share?
On average, two people related like this share about 0.78% (1 in 128) of their DNA.
That's the average. Real pairs vary a lot, because each child inherits a random half of each parent's DNA. Past 3rd cousins, many real cousins share no detectable DNA at all, which is why the paper trail still matters.
Go deeperDegrees of relationship (the legal count)
Civil-law degree: 8. Count every step from you up to the shared ancestor and down to your relative (5 + 3). Most US states use this count in inheritance law.
Canon-law degree: 5. Count only the longer side. Historic church marriage records often say things like “related in the 5th degree”, and a dispensation was needed for close degrees.
Test yourself
0 of 0 rightWhat is the person on the right to you?
32Thus was the gospel preached to those who had died in their sins, without a knowledge of the truth, or in transgression, having rejected the prophets. 33These were taught faith in God, repentance from sin, vicarious baptism for the remission of sins, the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands, 34And all other principles of the gospel that were necessary for them to know in order to qualify themselves that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.
Questions
What is a 2nd cousin twice removed?
Either your 2nd cousin's grandchild (two generations younger) or your grandparent's 2nd cousin (two generations older). You and they descend from the same ancestors, but you're two generations apart.
Is my cousin's child my second cousin?
No. Your cousin's child is your 1st cousin once removed. Your second cousins are your parents' cousins' children: people in your own generation who share great-grandparents with you.
What does removed mean in cousins?
Removed counts the generations between two cousins. Once removed means one generation apart, twice removed two generations apart.