Cuzzints of two degrees
The text message came in late this afternoon. I wasn’t thinking about what to blahg about yet except to think I didn’t really have anything. The question was about the definition of second cousins.
I dunno, people seem to confuse me with The Google but I decided to answer this one because I have a really good pic of first cousins and second cousins. Which is today’s pic.
So, on the FinFam side of my fam (my dad’s relatives), three girl children were born the same year. Me (January), Pooh (May), and UKW (July). We were the main perpetrators of the legendary Two-year-old Summer at the Old Cabin. According to our mothers, it was also cold and rainy EVERY day that summer
Wouldn’t you know, the three of us first cousins went on to birth our first children within a year. Pooh and UKW are holding their baby boys. And yer fav-o-rite blahgger is on the right with her baby girl (circa six months older than the boys). So these three bee-yoo-ti-ful women are me and my first cousins. The babies are second cousins to each other. My first cousins and I share the same grandparents. These babies and a whole slew of children of other (beloved) cousins’ children, share a set of great-grandparents. Our grandparents. At this point, another generation has begun in one branch of the FinFam but we won’t go into third cousins today except that they share great-great grandparents.
I think one of the things that confuses people about degrees of cousin is that in a lot of families the cousins span quite a few years (20 in mine). So if you are the youngest cousin, your oldest cousin may already be having children by the time you are born and if you do get to know those cousins, they are referred to as simply “cousins”, although they are actually first cousins once removed. If you don’t have a “family beach” like I have, you may not even get to know them.
If you are an ancestry.com geek, you probably know all of this stuff already. I have an ancestry geek friend who has connected with 6th and 7th cousins and figured out that she and her husband are distant cousins. I’ve done the spit thing and i am a geek in general but I can’t quiiiite work up the nerve to put my DNA out there into the world.
March 25th, 2025 at 10:50 pm
I do know all of this stuff; when I try to explain it to family members, they sometimes roll their eyes.
March 26th, 2025 at 8:10 am
I’ve never understood the once removed cousin thing. A few weeks ago, I thought maybe I’d gotten a handle on it when a family member explained it to me (again). But now I’m confused again! Let me try to ask a cogent, coherent question. You said this:
“…if you are the youngest cousin (Pam), your oldest cousin (Susan) may already be having children (Susan’s children are John and Mary) by the time you are born and if you (Pam) do get to know those cousins (John and Mary), they are referred to as “cousins”, although they are actually first cousins once removed.”
Why aren’t John and Mary Pam’s second cousins?
BUT. If Pam’s aunt Jane has children (Bob and Ann) wouldn’t Pam’s child (Tom) be Bob and Ann’s cousin once removed?
Explain it to me like I’m 5, as they say. Or not. Not sure I want to consult Mr. Google on this one. It clearly won’t stick in my head.
March 28th, 2025 at 10:25 am
As one of the three first cousins in Anne’s photo, let me try and respond to Pam J.’s question. In your first scenario with Pam and John and Mary, Pam IS a first cousin once removed to John and Mary, and they to her. This is because J&M are one generation below Pam. (Even though they may be older.) Tom is a first cousin once removed to Bob and Ann, and they to her. Pam’s Aunt Jane is a sibling to one of Pam’s parents, I’m assuming. (or a sibling-in-law, but it doesn’t matter) So Pam is a first cousin to both Bob and Ann. Pam’s child, Tom, is one generation below Bob and Ann. I hope this helps. If not, the five year old explanation is, “they’re your cousins!”