Daily AncestorNephew
Nephew in older records could mean a grandson or other descendant, not only a son of a brother or sister.
Nephew today means a son of a brother or sister. Older English also used it for a grandson, and loosely for a descendant. Webster's 1828 dictionary lists the grandson sense but marks it as not much used, so expect it mainly in older wills.
If an older person's will names a nephew whose father is their own son, the writer may mean grandson. Compare names and ages before assigning the relationship.
As seen in a recordWill recorded in a county will book, 1600s or early 1700s
To my nephew Wm. Lowry, son of my son James, my silver watch.
How to cite this page
Daily Ancestor. "Nephew." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/relationships/nephew. Last checked 2026-10-01.