Ever wondered if someone in your family tree is your 'second cousin, once removed'? If so, this calculator will hopefully help you. Cousin relationships can be confusing. This calculator is a quick and easy way to determine those difficult relationships.
Cousins share common ancestors - e.g. first cousins share grand-parents; second cousins share great grand-parents; and so on. I have found it helpful to have names of parents and cousins as I try to work out the relationships, so this calculator allows you to do that. You work back up your line to the common ancestor, then work down the line to your cousin.
To get started click one of the links below, and start with yourself. Enter your name in the box below the label "Me" - next to the box labelled "Type a name here=>".
Then click the 'Add Parent' button, and enter the name of your parent in the box below the label "Parent". Note that your parent is inserted above your details.
Repeat this process until you reach the ancestor common to both you and your cousin. Then click the 'Common Ancestor' button. Then click the 'Add Offspring' button and start adding your cousin's line. Enter the name of your great uncle in the box beside the label "<=Type a name in here".
Click the 'Add Offspring' button again and add the descendants until you reach the required cousin. The labels above the name you type are the relationship between you and that person.
You can type anything you like for the name or even leave it blank - the only purpose is to help you figure out the relationships. If you want you can change names after adding parents or offspring. Nothing you enter on the form is stored anywhere! If you want however, you can print the result using the print facilities in your browser. If you use IE then you can press the enter key instead of clicking the Add button. The 'Undo' button allows you to backtrack.
If you want to work out the relationship between 2 cousins, you'll have to cheat and treat one cousin as yourself!
I have used the English terminology for relatives - ie. Great Uncle rather than Grand Uncle.
Ready? Click here to start it in this window
Or Click here to start it in a new window so you can still see the instructions You may have to resize the windows to see them both (sorry - doesn't yet work with Opera)
Here is an example (picture taken before I added some features, like the Undo button!)
This calculator is provided free of charge. If you find it useful, or indeed find a problem, then please let me know.