What is a third cousin twice removed?
A third cousin twice removed is a third cousin from a different generation: your third cousin's grandchild, or your grandparent's third cousin.
The shared ancestors are great-great-grandparents to one of you and great-great-great-great-grandparents to the other: 4 generations down on one side, 6 on the other.
Two ways to be one
- Your third cousin's grandchild is your third cousin twice removed.
- Your grandparent's third cousin is also your third cousin twice removed.
How to work it out
- Find the ancestors you share and count the generations from them down to each of you: 4 and 6.
- The smaller number minus one gives the cousin degree: 4 minus 1 is 3, so "third".
- The difference between the two numbers is how many times "removed": 6 minus 4 is 2, so "twice removed".