How Are We Related?
How to Calculate Family Relationships
by Kerin Tate
METHOD 1: CHEAT SHEETS
If you know where to start, use these mini cheat sheets for assistance. (If not, try Method 2 below.)
About Cousins:
1ST COUSINS share the same Grandparents.
2ND COUSINS share the same Great Grandparents.
3RD COUSINS share the same Great x2 Grandparents.
4TH COUSINS share the same Great x3 Grandparents.
What "Removed" Means:
You are in different generations. Once removed = 1 generation different.
COUSIN, ONCE REMOVED = Your Cousin's Child, or your Parent's Cousin.
COUSIN, TWICE REMOVED = Your Cousin's Grandchild, or your Grandparent's Cousin.
COUSIN, 3x REMOVED = Your Cousin's Great Grandchild, or your Great Grandparent's Cousin.
About Aunts/Uncles:
A GRAND AUNT is in your Grandparent's generation.
A GREAT GRAND AUNT is in your Great Grandparent's generation, etc.
(Note: Many people say "Great Aunt," but the proper term is "Grand Aunt," and it's less confusing!)
About Grandparents:
Count how many generations away they are, subtract 2, and that's how many "Greats" to use. (Don't count yourself.)
Me - Carol - Vivian - Jessie - John Lee - Joseph
1 2 3 4 5
Joseph is 5 generations away, minus 2, makes him my Great x3 Grandfather.
If / Then:
For Aunts/Uncles (works vice-versa for niece/nephew):
If her Parent
is my Grandparent = then she is my Aunt
is my Great Grandparent = then she is my Grand Aunt
is my Great x2 Grandparent = then she is my Great Grand Aunt
is my Great x3 Grandparent = then she is my Great x2 Grand Aunt
For Cousins (these work vice-versa too):
If her Grandparent
is my Grandparent = 1st cousins
is my Great Grandparent = 1st cousins, 1x removed
is my Great x2 Grandparent = 1st cousins, 2x removed
If her Great Grandparent
is my Great Grand = 2nd cousins
is my Great x2 Grand = 2nd cousins, 1x removed
is my Great x3 Grand = 2nd cousins, 2x removed
If her Great x2 Grandparent
is my Great x2 Grand = 3rd cousins
is my Great x3 Grand = 3rd cousins, 1x removed
is my Great x4 Grand = 3rd cousins, 2x removed
METHOD 2: CALCULATE WITH 3 QUESTIONS
Don't know where to start? Solve it from scratch with this pen-and-paper method.
First, write down each of your family lines, going back to your common ancestor. If I want to find out how I'm related to Shannon, I would write:
Me - Carol - Vivian - Jessie - John Lee
Shannon - Charles - Charlie - John Lee
1
Who has the shorter list?
In this example, SHANNON.
2
How many people are in between that person and your common ancestor?
If it's ZERO, they are your AUNT (or uncle, niece, nephew).
If it's 1 OR MORE, they are your COUSIN.
1 BETWEEN = 1ST COUSIN
2 BETWEEN = 2ND COUSIN
3 BETWEEN = 3RD COUSIN, etc.
If they ARE your common ancestor, they are your GRANDPARENT.
Shannon - Charles - Charlie - John Lee
1 2
In this example, 2 are in between. So Shannon and I are SECOND COUSINS of some sort.
3
Number on longer list
– Number on shorter list
= Number of generations difference.
For COUSINS, this will tell you the NUMBER OF TIMES REMOVED.
0 = No "removed"
1 = 1x removed
2 = 2x removed
3 = 3x removed, etc.
For AUNTS (or uncles/nieces/nephews), this will tell you the NUMBER OF WORDS IN YOUR RELATIONSHIP.
1 word = AUNT (or uncle, niece, nephew)
2 words = GRAND AUNT
3 words = GREAT GRAND AUNT
4 words = GREAT GREAT GRAND AUNT
For GRANDPARENTS, subtract 2 for the NUMBER OF GREATS.
2 generations difference – 2 = 0 greats GRANDPARENT
3 generations difference – 2 = 1 great GREAT GRANDPARENT
4 generations difference – 2 = 2 greats GREAT x2 GRANDPARENT
In this example, 5 – 4 = 1 generation difference, so ONCE REMOVED.
So Shannon and I are SECOND COUSINS, ONCE REMOVED.
Other examples:
Me - Carol - Vivian - Jessie - John Lee - Joseph - Eleanor
Dolphie - Hattie - Eleanor
Dolphie's list is shorter.
1 between him and Eleanor, so he and I are 1ST COUSINS of some sort.
7 - 3 = 4, so 4 TIMES REMOVED.
Me - Carol - Vivian - Jessie - John Lee
Caroline - Kelly - Kris - Mildred - John Lee
Lists are same size.
3 between her and John Lee, so she and I are THIRD COUSINS of some sort.
5-5 = 0, so NO REMOVED. Just third cousins.
Me - Carol - Vivian - Jessie - John Lee - Joseph - Eleanor
Sallie - Eleanor
Sallie's list is shorter.
Zero between her and Eleanor so she is my AUNT of some sort.
7 - 2 = 5 words, so she is my GREAT GREAT GREAT GRAND AUNT (Great x3 Grand Aunt).
Me - Carol - Vivian - Jessie - John Lee - Joseph
Joseph
Joseph's list is shorter.
He IS my common ancestor, so he is my GRANDFATHER of some sort.
6 - 1 = 5 generations difference, minus 2 = 3, so he is my GREAT x3 GRANDFATHER.
(BUT when it comes to Grandparents, it's easier to use the Cheat Sheet method:
Joseph is 5 generations back, minus 2 = 3, so GREAT x3 GRANDFATHER.)
How Many Direct Line Ancestors Do I Have?
The formula is 2 to the n power, where n is the number of generations back. Or just use this chart. You have:
2 Parents (1 gen back)
4 Grandparents (2 gens back)
8 Great Grandparents (3 gens back)
16 Great x2 Grandparents (4 gens back)
32 Great x3 Grandparents (5 gens back)
64 Great x4 Grandparents (6 gens back)
128 Great x5 Grandparents (7 gens back)
256 Great x6 Grandparents (8 gens back)
512 Great x7 Grandparents (9 gens back)
1024 Great x8 Grandparents (10 gens back)
2048 Great x9 Grandparents (11 gens back)
PERMISSIONS: This are my own methods I've developed that work for me. You are welcome to copy some or all of this "How Are We Related" page to your website without asking, just credit my name and/or link to it. Thanks!