Have you ever wondered how to address your cousin’s cousin? Are they part of your family or not? What do you call them? These questions can be confusing, especially when you have a large and diverse family tree. In this article, we will explain what a cousin’s cousin is, how they are related to you, and what terms you can use to refer to them.
Contents
What Is a Cousin?
Before we dive into the topic of your cousin’s cousin, let’s review what a cousin is. A cousin is someone who shares a common ancestor with you that is at least two generations away, such as a grandparent or a great-grandparent1. For example, if you and your cousin have the same grandparents, you are first cousins. If you and your cousin have the same great-grandparents, you are second cousins. And so on.
The degree of cousinhood is based on the most recent direct ancestor that two people have in common. You can use this simple trick to figure out what number cousin your relative is: count how many “greats” are in your common ancestor’s title and add one. For example, if your common ancestor is a great-great-grandparent, then you are fourth cousins (2 + 2 = 4).
However, this trick only works if you and your relative are the same number of generations away from the common ancestor. Sometimes, you and your relative may have different degrees of separation from the common ancestor. For example, your common ancestor may be your great-grandparent, but your relative’s great-great-grandparent. This is where the phrase “once removed” comes in handy.
What Does It Mean to Be a Cousin “Once Removed”?
To be “once removed” from a cousin means that you are separated by one generation. The number before “removed” indicates the degree of cousinhood, while the word “removed” indicates the number of generations apart. For example, a first cousin once removed is either the child of your first cousin or the parent of your second cousin.
You can use this chart to visualize how cousins are related:
As you can see from the chart, each row is color-coded by generation. You and your siblings are in the same generation as your first, second, and third cousins. However, your parents’ first, second, and third cousins are in a different generation from you. They are also your first, second, and third cousins, but once removed. Likewise, your grandparents’ first, second, and third cousins are also your first, second, and third cousins, but twice removed.
This pattern continues throughout each generation. The main thing to remember is that the degree of cousinhood is determined by the closest common ancestor, while the degree of removal is determined by the difference in generations.
What Is My Cousin’s Cousin to Me?
Now that we have covered the basics of cousins and removals, let’s get back to the original question: what is my cousin’s cousin to me? The answer depends on how your cousin’s cousin is related to your cousin. There are two possible scenarios:
- Your cousin’s cousin is also your cousin. This happens when you and your cousin share the same set of grandparents or great-grandparents (or any other common ancestor), and your cousin’s cousin is also descended from that same ancestor. For example, if your mother has a sister and a brother, and both of them have children (your cousins), then those children are also cousins to each other. They are also your cousins because they share the same grandparents with you.
- Your cousin’s cousin is not related to you by blood. This happens when your cousin’s cousin is related to your cousin by marriage or adoption, but not by blood. For example, if your mother has a sister who marries a man who has a child from a previous marriage (your aunt’s stepchild), then that child is your cousin’s cousin. However, they are not related to you by blood because they do not share any common ancestor with you.
In the first scenario, you can simply call your cousin’s cousin by their degree of cousinhood (first, second, third, etc.). In the second scenario, you can call them by their degree of removal (once removed, twice removed, etc.), or by using the term “cousin-in-law” or “cousin by marriage”. Some people may also use the term “distant cousin” to refer to any relative who is not closely related by blood.
Conclusion
To sum up, a cousin’s cousin can be either related or unrelated to you by blood, depending on how they are related to your cousin. If they share a common ancestor with you and your cousin, then they are also your cousin. If they do not share a common ancestor with you, but only with your cousin, then they are not your blood relative, but they are still part of your extended family. You can use different terms to refer to them, such as cousin-in-law, cousin by marriage, or distant cousin.
