Daily Ancestorcognatus
Cognatus is Latin for a blood relative or kinsman (cognata for a kinswoman); the word says the two are related but not how.
Cognatus means a blood relative, someone related by birth. In the plural cognati covers relatives of either sex. In older Latin it could also mean a brother or sister.
When a godparent or witness is called cognatus, the priest knew of a family tie but did not spell it out. Treat it as a lead: the person may be an uncle, cousin or grandparent.
As seen in a recordLatin baptism register, godparents' line, 1790s
Patrinus: Michael Lang, cognatus infantis
How to cite this page
Daily Ancestor. "cognatus." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/latin/cognatus. Last checked 2026-10-10.