Let's talk about cousin's
By AmberLynn
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104628)
United States
June 11, 2020 3:30pm CST
I was chatting with someone here today about how our cousin's are related to us. Specifically, how the children of our cousin's are related to us. I mistakenly said that our first cousin's (the children of our aunt/uncle) children are our second cousins, but I was wrong.
Now, I will still call them my second cousin, because it just makes more sense to me. However, my first cousins children are actually my first cousin once removed. Removed simply refers to how many generations they are removed from our first cousins
Incidentally, I've called the children of my great aunts and uncles (my grandparents siblings) my second cousins which is right. My second cousins are my parents first cousins
It's all complicated, and it's likely I may even be reading this chart slightly wrong... The likelihood of anyone really having a relationship with their second cousin's etc is slim anyway So you really only need to know this if you want to know how your great great great grandfather's twin brother's daughter is related to you or something crazy like that.
Here's the chart for those curious. I do know that other cultures do things differently, so it may not pertain to everyone...
https://www.familysearch.org/blog/en/cousin-chart/
10 people like this
10 responses
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104628)
• United States
12 Jun 20
removed is just a weird way to put it. I like the "first, second and third degree" cousins option myself.
1 person likes this
@thelme55 (76645)
• Germany
15 Jun 20
@ScribbledAdNauseum Yes, indeed. I like those cousin's degrees, too. Thank you.
1 person likes this
@Poppylicious (11133)
•
15 Jun 20
What you now need to do is work out what relation you are to me. What with everybody in the world having the one common ancestor! ;)
1 person likes this
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104628)
• United States
15 Jun 20
Isn't it said that everyone is somehow related to Henry VIII?
There ya go! We're related that way. 
@pumpkinjam (8671)
• United Kingdom
12 Jun 20
This is something that I know confuses a lot of people. We've always referred to our cousins' children as second cousins. I know that's not correct but it's easier - in fact, we sometimes to refer to anyone beyond 'cousin' as a 'second cousin' or just 'cousin' otherwise it gets very complicated. We have so many of them. Some of my cousins are much older than me so their children are closer to my age. One of my older cousins has grandchildren the same age as my younger cousins' children!
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104628)
• United States
12 Jun 20
That is the way I refer to my cousin's kids too. In fact, they asked me how we were related and I told them we were second cousin's.
1 person likes this
@owlwings (43914)
• Cambridge, England
11 Jun 20
OK. Now try working out what relation you are to yourself if your mother is your father's second cousin once removed! 
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104628)
• United States
12 Jun 20
It is far too early in the morning for me to even fathom that.
1 person likes this
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104628)
• United States
13 Jun 20
Right, it's not like it much matters to be honest... Unless you're putting it on a family tree chart.
1 person likes this
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104628)
• United States
15 Jun 20
@simone10 Right, we don't say "Hey cousin Jethro!" or anything like that.
Actually, I find it weird when people say things like "Hey Aunt Hilda!" I mean, I've never seen the need to qualify it. I did call one of my grandmother's "Grandma Pat" though. Everyone else called her Grammy or Granny, but I called my mom's mom that so...
1 person likes this
@simone10 (54187)
• Louisville, Kentucky
15 Jun 20
@ScribbledAdNauseum Very true! I know it doesn't matter to my cousins
1 person likes this
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104628)
• United States
11 Jun 20
Then my work here is done.
No, I didn't mean to confuse you, but I confuse myself half the time.
No, I didn't mean to confuse you, but I confuse myself half the time.1 person likes this
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104628)
• United States
11 Jun 20
Yeah, it can be. Honestly, I think most people just refer to their cousin's children as being their "cousin's" instead of trying to understand it further.
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104628)
• United States
11 Jun 20
There's really no reason to, I think.
1 person likes this
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104628)
• United States
11 Jun 20
Well, I think most people only associate with their aunt's and uncle's children occasionally. Everyone leads busy lives now, it's not so easy.
1 person likes this
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104628)
• United States
11 Jun 20
Just talking about my cousin and his children, and what they are in relation to me.