Have you ever wondered what “a second cousin twice removed” was? This cousin chart from FamilySearch.org will help you understand the connection between cousins.

What Is a Second Cousin?

The number associated with your cousin has to do with how many generations away your common ancestor is. For example:

• First cousins share a grandparent (2 generations)
• Second cousins share a great-grandparent (3 generations)
• Third cousins share a great-great-grandparent (4 generations)
• Fourth cousins share a 3^rd-great grandparent (5 generations)

What Does it Mean to be a Cousin “Once Removed”?

To be “once removed” from a cousin means you are separated by one generation. The number before “removed” will always represent the number of generations you are separated (“removed”) from the cousin.

If you look at the cousin chart above, you’ll see that each row is color-coded by generation. You, your siblings, and your first, second, and third cousins are all of the same generation.

You may have noticed that the boxes labeled “cousin once removed” are either from one generation above or below you. You are “once removed” if you are separated by 1 generation and “twice removed” if you are separated by 2 generations, and so on.

I hope that helped.

Maureen