2nd cousin vs cousin once removed.?

Question

2nd, 3rd, 4th (etc) cousin vs cousin once, twice, three times (etc) removed? I've always been confused about this....
Please explain and give me some examples.

Answer 1

I think the easiest wat to remember all of that is as follows:

-If you share a grandparent with someone, you are first cousins
-If you share a great grandparent with someone, then you are second cousins.
-If you share a great great grandparent with someone, then you are third cousins
_If you share a third great grandparent with someone, then you are fourth cousins
etc....

The once removed stuff comes in when you are talking about a cousin with a varying degree of relationship to the common ancestor than you. For example, if we are talking about the relationship between you and your cousins child. For you your common ancestor is your grandmother, for the child, your common ancestor is their great grandmother. The difference between a grandmother and a great grandmother is one generation making your cousins child your first cousin once removed. If you and your cousin each had a child, their common ancestor is their great grandmother which we've already discussed is second cousins.

There is a really neat relationship chart that serves as a great visual at

http://genealogy.about.com/library/nrelationshipchart.htm

If you are anything like me, a visual always helps. Blessings.

Answer 2

Cousins are labeled based upon their respective ancestral level in the pedigree chart. Thus, from a common ancestor, like a grandparent, the grandchildren would be first cousins. The cousins parents would be siblings and their children are the first generation of cousins. The great grandchildren would be second cousins and so on. When we say once remove or twice removed, we are saying that the cousins are not in the same generational level. Thus, one grandchild and one great grandchild would be first cousins once removed. You always use the label that is closest to the common ancestor. Thus, you would not say second cousin once removed for the above example. It is a first cousin once removed. A second cousin once removed would be a great grandchild with 2nd great grandchild. Then, if you had the 2nd great grandchild with the grandchild, you would have first cousins twice removed.
Plot it out on a chart with the various generation levels side by side and then you can graphically see how the removals fit with each other.
Hope that helps a little bit.

Answer 3

I've never been able to get confirmation, but I *think* it's like this:

1st, 2nd, 3rd, nth cousins are all of the same generation.

Once removed means there is a generation separating the cousins, twice removed means two generations, etc.

An example: You have a second cousin - you are both the great-grandchildren of a common great-grandparent. Your second cousin has a child - you and that child are second cousins once removed.

HOWEVER, a lot of this is culturally based. In England, I'm told this is crap because it's not specific enough - people tell me that any book of peerage (a British aristocracy thing) will show me how wrong I am. In Chile, I'm told it's crap because there is no "removed" - they go with aunt/uncle, niece/nephew for that.

So, go figure.

Answer 4

People are second cousins if their parents are first cousins. The "removes" have to do with generations. For example, my grandmother's first cousins, are my first cousins, twice removed. The remaining "levels" of cousins are just in numeric order. Children of second cousins are third cousins, children of third cousins are fourth cousins, etc.

Answer 5

http://www.tedpack.org/cousins.html
has a 4-color tree chart, which some people find helpful.

Children of siblings are first cousins.
Children of first cousins are second cousins.
Children of second cousins are third cousins.
and so on.

When you go up or down generations you get removeds.

Your parents' cousins are yours too, only once removed.
Your grand-parents' cousins are yours too, only twice removed.

Your first cousin's children are your first cousins, once removed.
Your first cousin's grand-children are your first cousins, twice removed.

and so on.

Normally you don't even know the names of anyone much past 2nd cousin or 1C2R, let alone what they look like. Sometimes, though - I worked with a fellow who claimed Daniel Boone was his first cousin seven times removed; his 5th great grandmother was DB's first cousin.

Answer 6

1st cousin: your aunt or uncle's child

1st cousin once removed: your parent's 1st cousin or your first cousin's child.

2nd cousin: your parent's first cousin's child

2nd cousin twice removed: your second cousin's grandchild - or your grandparent's 2nd cousin

3rd cousin: your parent's second cousin's child


Sorry, I don't remember the source (several years ago, probably from somewhere on the internet)

Answer 7

-Dave had two children, Anne and Mark; Anne and Mark are siblings.

-Anne and Mark each had one child, Alice and Daniel; Alice and Daniel are first cousins).

-Alice and Daniel each had one child, Bill and Daisy; Bill and Daisy are second cousins; Alice and Daisy are first cousins, once removed, because Daisy is the child of Alice's first cousin, Daniel. Daniel and Bill are also first cousins, once removed.

-Bill and Daisy each had a child, Tom and Diane; Tom and Diane are third cousins; Bill and Diane are second cousins, once removed; Alice and Diane are first cousins, twice removed; Daniel and Tom are also first cousins, twice removed.

The removed shows how many generations you are removed from each other.

Common ancestor= Dave
Dave > Anne > Alice> Bill > Tom
Dave > Mark > Daniel> Daisy > Diane

Answer 8

1st cousin is the youngster of your make sure's sibling. A 2d cousin is your make sure's cousin (i.e. my 1st cousin is my youngster's 2d cousin). third cousin may be the 2d cousin's newborn, etc. while you're bumped off, i think that's like while the cousins have separate mothers and dads. A cousin out of your dad's component, as quickly as bumped off is: your dad's brother's/sister's son/daughter, yet your dad & his brother/sister had a distinctive mom/dad.