What Is My Cousin’s Child To Me? Here’s What They’re Called
I was having a chat with a friend recently and we were discussing her cousin’s newborn child. All was well, except she didn’t know what to call the baby. Was it her cousin? Second cousin? The answer is a bit complicated. If you’re wondering the same thing, we’ve got you covered. In this article, we’ll discuss what to call your cousin’s child (and how it came to be).
Table of Contents
- What is my cousin’s child to me?
- What does once removed mean?
- What is twice removed?
- What are second cousins?
- Final thoughts
What is my cousin’s child to me?
Your cousin’s child is your cousin once removed. Although many people refer to their cousin’s child as “second cousin”, it isn’t correct.
If it feels a little too formal calling your cousin’s child your “cousin once removed”, don’t worry, there’s an alternative. In the English language, it’s also common to call your cousin once removed your niece or nephew.
To sum it up, technically your cousin’s child is your cousin once removed, but you can also refer to them as your niece or nephew.
What does once removed mean?
The term “once removed” means you’re separated by one generation. For example, you and your cousin are part of the same generation. Your cousin’s child is the next generation. This is why your cousin’s child is your cousin once removed.
What is twice removed?
Twice removed means you and the person are two generations apart. If your cousin’s child has a child — that child is your cousin twice removed. Although it sounds complicated at first, if you think of a family tree branching out by generation it’s quite easy to visualize. The further down the generational tree a person is, the more “removed” they are from you.
What are second cousins?
Second cousins are the children of two cousins. Unlike cousins once removed, they are part of the same generation. If you have a child and your cousin had a child, your children are second cousins.
In other words, your cousin once removed and your child are second cousins.
Final thoughts
So now you know the answer: Your cousin’s child is your cousin once removed, but you can also call them your niece or nephew. In order to find out how many times a cousin is “removed” from you, you simply need to count how many generations away they are.
