If I walked up to you and said, “Hi, I’m your third cousin, twice removed.” Would you have any idea who I was or how we’re related? You’re not alone. We hear it at family gatherings and even though we may have had it explained, we still didn’t understand it. VERY briefly, YOU are FIRST cousin to your mother or father’s sister or brother’s son or daughter…and your FIRST cousin’s kids are your SECOND cousins, “once removed”, meaning that there’s a generation gap between you and your FIRST cousin’s kids…because their great-grandparents are your grandparents. Extending this to the NEXT generation, your SECOND cousin’s kids are your THIRD cousins, “twice removed”…because of a SECOND generation skip, and another generation ”removed”…because your THIRD cousin’s great-great grandparents are YOUR grandparents. GOT IT! ... NOW do you know who I am?
Originally published July 2009
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