One of the first questions I get asked, when people find out of my interest in genealogy is “what about all that cousins first removed stuff’?
Sometimes that is not a simple answer. But for you readers, help is just a click away.
The internet has many charts that show family relationships. Below I have links to a few of my favorites.
To use a family relationship chart, you need to find a common ancestor between two people. The chart will give you directions to follow to find the relationship.
Here are a few notes of interest to help you along this, sometimes confusing, journey.
Third Cousin, Second Cousin, First Cousin Defined
First cousin is the child of my aunt and uncle or people in my family who have the same grandparents as me.
Second cousins have the same great grandparents as me, but not the same grandparents.
Third cousins have the same great great grandparents, etc…
And so on!
What Does Once Removed Mean?
It’s common to hear people say this phrase. So what does “removed” mean? This indicates the number of generations I am separated from another relative from a common ancestor. A cousin once removed means a difference of one generation.
Check out these great family relationship charts!
Family Tree Relationship Chart
Kim has a passion for Genealogy. After retiring from a career as a teacher, administrator and education consultant, she spent the past several years doing extensive family research. She is a newsletter editor for the Illinois State Genealogical Society and the Peoria County Genealogy Society. Kim is also a member of the Peoria Chapter of DAR Daughter of American Revolution and a member of the General Society of Mayflower Descendants.
