Family relationships

By JD Lasica

“Just how are we related again?” It’s a common question, especially when you get to the second-cousin once removed stage.

The chart below offers an at-a-glance look at family relationships.

                                4 X Great
                               Grandparents
                                 /      \
                          3 X Great    4 X Great
                       Grandparents    Uncle-Aunt
                           /     \            \
                    2 X Great   3 X Great   1st Cousin
                  Grandparents  Uncle-Aunt  4 X Removed
                     /     \            \           \
               Great     2 X Great    1st Cousin   2nd Cousin
           Grandparents  Uncle-Aunt   3 X Removed  3 X Removed
               /     \           \            \           \
         Grand      Great       1st Cousin   2nd Cousin   3rd Cousin
        Parents   Uncle-Aunt    2 X Removed  2 X Removed  2 X Removed
         /     \           \            \           \           \
   Father     Uncle   1st Cousin    2nd Cousin    3rd Cousin    4th Cousin
   Mother     Aunt    Once Removed  Once Removed  Once Removed  Once Removed
   /     \           \           \            \           \           \
ME      Brother       1st          2nd         3rd         4th          5th
         Sister      Cousin       Cousin      Cousin      Cousin       Cousin
   \           \           \            \           \           \
    Son     Nephew   1st Cousin    2nd Cousin    3rd Cousin    4th Cousin
  Daughter   Niece   Once Removed  Once Removed  Once Removed  Once Removed
         \           \           \            \           \
         Grand      Great      1st Cousin  2nd Cousin  3rd Cousin
         Child  Nephew-Niece   2 X Removed  2 X Removed 2 X Removed
               \           \            \           \
              Great    2 X Great     1st Cousin  2nd Cousin
           Grandchild  Nephew-Niece  3 X Removed 3 X Removed
                     \           \            \
                  2 X Great  3 X Great      1st Cousin
                 Grandchild   Nephew-Niece  4 X Removed
                           \            \
                        3 X Great  4 X Great
                         Grandchild   Nephew-Niece
                                 \
                              4 X Great
                              Grandchild

Common usage allows the Great Aunt-Uncle and Great Nephew-Niece to be referred to as Grand Aunt-Uncle or Grand Nephew-Niece. Although an allowable usage, it is not the preferred usage.

Another way to go about it

Here’s another way to figure out how you and a relative are related.

How to calculate how two people are related

1. Select two people in your family and figure out the most recent direct ancestor they have in common. For example, if you chose yourself and a first cousin, you would have a grandparent in common.
2. Look at the top row of the chart (in blue) and find the first person’s relationship to the common ancestor.
3. Look at the far left column of the chart (in blue) and find the second person’s relationship to the common ancestor.
4. Move across the columns and down the rows to determine where the row and column containing these two relationships (from #2 & #3) meet. This box is the relationship between the two individuals.

Source: About.com