Relationship calculator: How am I related to...?

Although most of us are confident in working out the cousins, aunts, uncles and great-grandparents on our family tree, terms such as ‘second cousin once removed’ can be more of a challenge. Use our handy family relationship calculator to work out who’s who when exploring your ancestry.

What is a relationship calculator?

A family relationship calculator is a chart that allows you to calculate the relationship between two blood relatives by means of the ancestor they have in common.

How to use your calculator

1. Using the downloadable chart imagine you meet someone and discover that you have the same great-grandparents. Firstly, visualise how that great-grandparent (the ancestor you both have in common) would describe you (as a great-grandchild in this example) and then find that term on the horizontal top line.

2. Next, move your finger down that column until you reach the person to whom you’re related on the vertical column (the other great-grandchild). The point where the two boxes meet shows your relationship to the other person; second cousins in our example here.

Once you become used to these kinship terms, they’ll soon become second nature and you might just find yourself in great demand at the next family gathering!

Second cousins & other family relationships

• Second cousins – share the same great-grandparents
• Third cousins – share the same great-great-grandparents
• Second cousin once removed – the child or parent of a second cousin
• Second cousin twice removed – second cousins with a two-generation difference
• ‘Removed’ always indicates that two people are not in the same generation as each other

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