Cousin

Cousin is a term used to describe certain types of familial relationships. Specifically, a cousin is a relative with whom a person shares one or more common ancestors. In the narrowest sense, the term cousin is used to refer to the child of one's aunt or uncle. However, in common parlance, "cousin" can refer to any relative whose most recent common ancestor with the subject is more than one generation away.

Types of Cousins

There are several types of cousins, including first cousins, second cousins, and so on, as well as once removed, twice removed, etc. The degree of cousin (first, second, etc.) denotes the number of generations between two cousins and their nearest common ancestor. The removal of the cousin relationship is the number of generations the cousins are separated by.

First Cousins

First cousins are the children of a person's aunt or uncle. They share at least one set of grandparents.

Second Cousins

Second cousins are the children of first cousins. They share at least one set of great-grandparents.

Removed Cousins

A cousin that is "once removed" is a cousin with one removal. When the removal is not specified no removal is assumed, with the removal being the difference in generations from the cousins. For example, a cousin who is "once removed" could be either your parent's first cousin or the child of your first cousin.

Cousin Relationships in Different Cultures

Cousin relationships can have different implications in different cultures. For example, in some cultures, cousin marriage is a common practice, while in others it is taboo.

See Also

• Family
• Kinship
• Genealogy
• Cousin marriage
• Cousin chart

References

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  Victoria and her cousin, 1852

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  European kinship system