Removed

The number in first or second cousin tells how far back the shared ancestor is. Removed tells how many generations separate the two people. Once removed means one generation apart, twice removed means two.

To work it out, count generations from the shared ancestor down to each person. Use the shorter count to name the cousin degree (grandchild level is first cousin, great-grandchild level is second cousin), then subtract to get the removal. Two people can be removed and still be close in age, because one branch may have had children much earlier than the other.