What is a second cousin twice removed?
A second cousin twice removed is two generations away from you on a second-cousin line: your second cousin's grandchild, or your grandparent's second cousin.
- Shared ancestor
- 3 generations up from you
- They call you
- their second cousin twice removed
- Average shared DNA
- ≈ 0.781%
- Cousin number · removed
- 2 · 2
Counting it out
You and they share ancestors: for the younger version, your great-grandparents are their great-great-great-grandparents. You are three steps down, they are five. Three minus one is two, so "second" cousins; five minus three is two, so "twice removed".
The older version
Your grandparent's second cousin is also your second cousin twice removed. You would share 3rd great-grandparents: five generations above you and three above them.
Shared DNA
About 0.8% on average, around 70 centimorgans. At this distance many real pairs share no measurable DNA, so a paper trail matters more than a test result.
Check your own relative
Not sure this is the right term? Enter your actual connection.
Find the most recent ancestor you both descend from, then say how each of you is connected to them.
- They call you
- their second cousin twice removed
- Expected shared DNA
- ≈ 0.781%
- Degree (civil / canon)
- 8 / 5
Why a second cousin twice removed?
You share great-grandparents. You are 3 generations below them; the other person is 5 generations below them.
The cousin number comes from whoever is closer to the shared ancestor: 3 generations down, minus 1 = second cousin.
The gap between your two generation counts (5 − 3) is 2, so you are twice removed.
Questions people ask
Is a second cousin twice removed closer than a third cousin?
On paper they share the same expected amount of DNA (about 0.8%). Your second cousin twice removed is one step closer in the tree on one side, and two generations away.
What is the shorthand?
2C2R.