# ''Great''-relatives vs. "grand"-relatives **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 31, 2002, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-relatives-vs-grand-relatives/111796 "2002-05-31T20:48:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2002, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-relatives-vs-grand-relatives/111796/1 "2002-05-31T20:48:36Z")
Not too long ago my sister became a grandmother. That makes me (in local parlance, anyway), a “great-uncle.” However, the preferred term\* appears to be “granduncle,” which makes sense, since that generation would also have the grandmothers and grandfathers. So, the question: In all my live, not once have I ever heard someone referred to as a “granduncle,” only “great-uncles.” Is this a regional thing (I’m in the SE US), or are “granduncle and grandaunt” good words that have been passed over in favor of inferior words all over the States. (Non USAns, feel free to add comments.) \*I looked up “granduncle” in my trusty MW 1980 edition, and it gave the definition. I then looked up “great-uncle,” and it said “granduncle.” ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2002, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-relatives-vs-grand-relatives/111796/2 "2002-05-31T21:20:52Z")
Great-uncle is the older usage; grand-uncle is the one that makes more sense. Neither is likely to be confusing. I don’t know which one is more common these days, nor which one is more respected, but the rule in such matters is “pick one and be consistent.” ---
**Author:** ![jb\_farley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9d8465/32.png) [@jb\_farley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jb_farley)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2002, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-relatives-vs-grand-relatives/111796/3 "2002-05-31T21:30:57Z")
how about “GRUNCLE”? jb ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2002, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-relatives-vs-grand-relatives/111796/4 "2002-05-31T22:47:47Z")
How about first cousin twice removed? ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2002, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-relatives-vs-grand-relatives/111796/5 "2002-05-31T23:18:16Z")
First cousins are separated a generation before uncles/nephews. Your first cousin _once_ removed is the son of your granduncle; your first cousin _twice_ removed is the son of your great-granduncle. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2002, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-relatives-vs-grand-relatives/111796/6 "2002-05-31T23:55:27Z")
I have _never_ encountered the term “granduncle” before. (And I do a lot of genealogy.) I think “grandaunt” would grate the ears enough to give"greataunt" an edge. Note to **Nametag**. The “removed” term is symmetrical. Hence my cousin’s children are my first cousin’s once removed as well as vice versa. (Which actually makes the term ambiguous.) ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2002, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-relatives-vs-grand-relatives/111796/7 "2002-06-01T01:06:03Z")
My Family Tree Maker software package spits out the words “Granduncle” and “Grandaunt” when you do a kinship chart. You can print out the relationship of everyone in the database to one particular person. It’s a neat feature, although I’ve never quite figured out how useful it is. ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2002, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-relatives-vs-grand-relatives/111796/8 "2002-06-01T02:42:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ftg \* > \*\*Note to **Nametag**. The “removed” term is symmetrical. Hence my cousin’s children are my first cousin’s once removed as well as vice versa. (Which actually makes the term ambiguous.) \*\* I know, and I did everyone the courtesy of assuming they knew that too. It made the explanation much shorter and easier to follow. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2002, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-relatives-vs-grand-relatives/111796/9 "2002-06-01T06:04:40Z")
Talk to a professional genealogist (i.e., me): granduncle and grandaunt are much preferred to great-uncle and great-aunt. As a previous poster said, they correspond in construction to grandfather and grandmother, all of whom are two generations back from you.