by Gena Philibert Ortega
A lot of confusion exists around the subject of cousins. Everyone knows that a cousin (or also known as a first cousin) is the daughter or son of their parent’s siblings. But after that, the confusion begins for most people. When thinking of cousins just remember that they are relatives for whom you share a set of grandparents, great-grandparents, etc. So a second cousin would be someone related to you with whom you share a great-grandparent with.
Second cousins are often mistaken as the children of your first cousin but in actuality, that person would be your first cousin once removed. The term “removed” indicates that you and that person are not of the same generation. You and your first cousin are of the same generation; you are both two generations from your grandparents. But your cousin’s daughter is a 3rd generation away from your grandparents (her great-grandparents.). In this instance the word generation has nothing to do with how old you are but instead it indicates how far generationally you are from a couple, like your grandparents or great-grandparents.
I know this is confusing and for some it may be easier to “see” it then to understand it by just reading it. A clear concise chart can be found on About.com at http://genealogy.about.com/library/nrelationshipchart.htm. This can assist you as you pick up new cousins and want to know exactly how you are related.
