Geneology Question... I need help!

[Stitchawl]

I know that the children of my aunt or uncle are my "First Cousins."

A. What are my cousin's children in relation to me?
B. What is my son in relationship to my first cousins?
C. What are my cousin's children in relationship to my son?

Second cousins? First cousins, twice removed? Grand Duchess of Fenwick?

Any help would be appreciated. I just met (via Facebook) the 35-year old daughter of my first cousin (whom I lost track of 40 years ago and just re-established contact) who wants to contact my son. I'd love to know what to classify them as!

Anybody really 'know' about this stuff?

Thanks

Stitchawl

[Maggie May]

I hope I'm right but here goes.
The children of your first cousins are your first cousins once removed
Your son and your first cousins children are second cousins.
I'm open to correction.

Mag.

[Stitchawl]

Originally Posted by Maggie May

I hope I'm right but here goes.
The children of your first cousins are your first cousins once removed
Your son and your first cousins children are second cousins.
I'm open to correction.

Mag.

Thanks. That was my thinking, but it seems too simple...
Let's see if there are any other responses.


Stitchawl

[Falcao]

Originally Posted by Stitchawl

I know that the children of my aunt or uncle are my "First Cousins."

A. What are my cousin's children in relation to me?
B. What is my son in relationship to my first cousins?
C. What are my cousin's children in relationship to my son?

In Spanish, the answers are a) Second nephews/nieces; b) Second uncles/aunts; c) Second cousins

But, since I guess you are more interested in the English terms, wikipedia has a nice article about this.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by Stitchawl

I know that the children of my aunt or uncle are my "First Cousins."

A. What are my cousin's children in relation to me?
B. What is my son in relationship to my first cousins?
C. What are my cousin's children in relationship to my son?

A. Your first cousins once removed.
B. Their first cousin once removed.
C. His second cousins.

First cousins (usually just "cousins") share a grandparent.
Second cousins share a great grandparent.
Third cousins share a great great grandparent.

The tricky bit is when the relationship to be described is between different generations. The way it's done is to look at the common ancestor, and take the closest relation to the common ancestor. The 'removed' counts the generational difference

Since the common ancestor of your son and your cousin is your son's great grandparent, and your cousin's grandparent, they are first cousins. Since they are separated by one generation, they are first cousins once removed.

Unlike for Aunt/Uncle/Nephew/Niece, there isn't a different description of the relationship that depends on the sex of the people involved, nor on the direction of the generational difference.

Your cousin's children are your first cousins once removed, and you are their first cousin once removed as well.

[Stitchawl]

OK... looks as if we've got some knowledgeable people in this forum!

MaggieMay and pdurrant seem to agree. pdurrant speaks with certainty about the way it all works... Almost simple when it's explained to me. Almost. At least I can now tell my son to contact his second cousin!
Thanks, folks. I appreciate it!

Stitchawl

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by Falcao

In Spanish, the answers are a) Second nephews/nieces; b) Second uncles/aunts; c) Second cousins

But, since I guess you are more interested in the English terms, wikipedia has a nice article about this.

I rather like second uncles/aunts and second nephews/nieces. You're quite right that they're not terms used in English, but I'm tempted to start using them myself — they seem to be straight forward enough.

               A
               |
        ———————————————
        B1           B2
        |             |
    _________     _________
    C1     C2     C3     C4
    |             |
  _____         _____
  D1 D2         D3 D4

So D1 is C2's niece and B2's great niece and C3's cousin once removed and D3's second cousin

But with the new nomenclature, D1 would be C3's second niece, and C3 would be D1's second uncle.

of course, there is a reason English doesn't have non-generic terms for those relationships: It's rare for any Englishman to actually know his second cousin once removed, or need to specify the relationship.

[phenomshel]

I found an explanation of it somewhere when I was putting together my own family tree (that Ancestry app for iPad is evil, I am telling y'all...). But it looks like pdurrant has the same answers that I found.

[wodin]

It hurts the brain!

[crich70]

A. What are my cousin's children in relation to me?
your 2nd cousins
B. What is my son in relationship to my first cousins?
their 2nd cousin
C. What are my cousin's children in relationship to my son?
1st cousins.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by crich70

A. What are my cousin's children in relation to me?
your 2nd cousins
B. What is my son in relationship to my first cousins?
their 2nd cousin
C. What are my cousin's children in relationship to my son?
1st cousins.

Sorry crich, wrong on all counts.

[crich70]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Sorry crich, wrong on all counts.

My 2nd cousins would be very surprised to hear that. Take the last one for example. His son and his cousins children are the same generation so they are 1st cousins.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by crich70

My 2nd cousins would be very surprised to hear that. Take the last one for example. His son and his cousins children are the same generation so they are 1st cousins.

No. Being the same generation just means that there's no 'removed' in their relationship description. Since their nearest common ancestor is their great grandparents, they are 2nd cousins.

[Bookpossum]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

No. Being the same generation just means that there's no 'removed' in their relationship description. Since their nearest common ancestor is their great grandparents, they are 2nd cousins.

Yes, I'm with pdurrant on this - I have been very involved with family history for a while, so you do get used to it.

Another confusing thing in relationship terminology is that a great-aunt or uncle is a generation closer to the child in question than a great-grandmother/father is. There could be a good argument for changing to grand-aunt or uncle, to be the same as grandmother/father.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by Bookpossum

Another confusing thing in relationship terminology is that a great-aunt or uncle is a generation closer to the child in question than a great-grandmother/father is. There could be a good argument for changing to grand-aunt or uncle, to be the same as grandmother/father.

This seems to be a regional variation. I've always called siblings of my grandparents great-uncle or great-aunt, but I believe that in some places (in the US?) grand-uncle and grand-aunt is used instead.