# How many first cousins do you have? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 13, 2004, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-first-cousins-do-you-have/268975 "2004-10-13T06:39:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2004, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-first-cousins-do-you-have/268975/41 "2004-10-13T14:30:19Z")
1. My uncle’s (Dad’s brother) son. He’s five years older than me and I have so little contact with the extended family I had no idea that he had married and had a kid. So now I guess I’ve also got 1 whatever the heck the kid is; first cousin once removed or something like that? ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2004, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-first-cousins-do-you-have/268975/42 "2004-10-13T14:34:23Z")
> [@smartini](#): > > Help me here, I’m confused – can you really have a half-first cousin? Could just be me not making the connections correctly— 😃 Yes you can. My wife has three half older siblings from her father’s first marriage. They are my wife’s half brother and sisters. They each have children. My wife and I have a daughter. The children of my wife’s half-siblings are her half first couisins although I always get dirty looks when I point that out. ---
**Author:** ![Governor\_Quinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@Governor\_Quinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Governor_Quinn)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2004, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-first-cousins-do-you-have/268975/43 "2004-10-13T14:34:49Z")
Father’s side: One, plus one step-cousin. Mother’s side: Eight or nine. (Some confuse me) ---
**Author:** ![David\_Simmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2004, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-first-cousins-do-you-have/268975/44 "2004-10-13T14:45:20Z")
I never counted them. My father was one of eight children two of whom had 10 or 11 children. At one time I had, hmm, let’s see now, somewhere in the vicinity of 42 or 43. ---
**Author:** ![Nightwatch\_Trailer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/9dc877/32.png) [@Nightwatch\_Trailer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nightwatch_Trailer)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2004, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-first-cousins-do-you-have/268975/45 "2004-10-13T15:04:39Z")
Let’s see…I have seven aunts just on my mom’s side, so… Eighteen on my mom’s side, eight on my dad’s, if I’m counting correctly. That makes twenty-six first cousins altogether, four of which I think are through adoption. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Composer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/898d66/32.png) [@The\_Composer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Composer)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2004, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-first-cousins-do-you-have/268975/46 "2004-10-13T15:19:46Z")
I have 11: **Mother’s Side-** 3 \*\*Father’s Side- \*\* 8 I know and am close with all of them. They range in age from 21 to 44. I’m 31. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2004, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-first-cousins-do-you-have/268975/47 "2004-10-13T15:20:38Z")
8 on Mom’s side, 17 on Dad’s. The only one’s I am close to are on Mom’s side. i don’t even know half of my paternal cousins…never met them, and don’t particularly care to. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Sassy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47c2d/32.png) [@Sassy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sassy)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2004, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-first-cousins-do-you-have/268975/48 "2004-10-13T15:25:33Z")
1. I believe I am the big winner 🆒 Dad was one of 12 and Mom one of 14, most of whom had (obviously) several children. ---
**Author:** ![Iris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a5b964/32.png) [@Iris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iris)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2004, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-first-cousins-do-you-have/268975/49 "2004-10-13T15:27:05Z")
2 on my mom’s side and 2 on my dad’s side. Comparatively, it seems I have a really small family. ---
**Author:** ![delphica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9a140/32.png) [@delphica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/delphica)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2004, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-first-cousins-do-you-have/268975/50 "2004-10-13T15:39:05Z")
If I’m counting correctly, I have 34 first cousins (by blood). The thing that seems the most amazing to me is that we’re not _that_ far apart in age. I’m toward the middle, the oldest is 4 years older than I am, and the youngest is 5 years younger. Wow, my parents’ generation was all over that procreation thing. There were always A LOT of kids around on Christmas morning. I used to laugh that my uncle didn’t know my name until I was 22, now can I see why. ---
**Author:** ![Draelin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce73a5/32.png) [@Draelin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Draelin)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2004, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-first-cousins-do-you-have/268975/51 "2004-10-13T15:43:11Z")
Mom is the oldest of 6 children, Dad the oldest of 4. I have … :🤔: … twenty-one first cousins, many of whom have now reproduced themselves. All are full-blood cousins, not half- or step-cousins. A couple years ago, Dad’s family went on a family reunion “vacation” for Grandma’s 80th birthday. In Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Because that’s a _real_ happenin’ town. ::snort:: They thought it would be a fine idea to just stick all the girl grandchildren in one hotel room. Six girls, ranging in age from ten to twenty-five (that was me). Helpful tip–do not expect the 22 and 25-year-olds to be thrilled with this setup. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2004, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-first-cousins-do-you-have/268975/52 "2004-10-13T15:47:40Z")
14 on my mother’s side (one adopted), 6 on my father’s side. Mrs. Kunilou has 37 first cousins (one adopted), all on her mother’s side. Add her, her brother and sister into the mix and that makes a total of 40 first cousins in that generation. Her family reunions are actually a lot of fun. ---
**Author:** ![Avarie537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/48db29/32.png) [@Avarie537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avarie537)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2004, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-first-cousins-do-you-have/268975/53 "2004-10-13T16:03:55Z")
Let’s see … two on dad’s side (haven’t seen them since the 80s). Mom’s side is two, two, two steps, one more step (met her once), and one for a total five plus three steps. Seven blood, three steps, one of which I met only when her mom married my uncle in like 1990. ---
**Author:** ![delphica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9a140/32.png) [@delphica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/delphica)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2004, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-first-cousins-do-you-have/268975/54 "2004-10-13T16:11:46Z")
> [@delphica](#): > > If I’m counting correctly, I have 34 first cousins (by blood). Well geez, I can’t count correctly. I was adding my brother and I into the total. So I have 32 first cousins, for a total of 34 kids at family gatherings. ---
**Author:** ![Eliphalet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eliphalet/32/9563_2.png) [@Eliphalet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eliphalet)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2004, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-first-cousins-do-you-have/268975/55 "2004-10-13T16:15:30Z")
1. Seven of which are directly related to me, and 2 that are stepchildren. I only ever see about 5 of them, though. I get along real well with just 3. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2004, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-first-cousins-do-you-have/268975/56 "2004-10-13T16:25:51Z")
I expect to win this one. My mother is one of 12 children. My father was one of 11. I have 108 first cousins. There are six children in my family. So my grandparents, between them, had 114 grandchildren. ---
**Author:** ![tesseract](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bb73d2/32.png) [@tesseract](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tesseract)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2004, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-first-cousins-do-you-have/268975/57 "2004-10-13T16:54:23Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#): > > I expect to win this one. > > My mother is one of 12 children. > > My father was one of 11. > > I have 108 first cousins. There are six children in my family. So my grandparents, between them, had 114 grandchildren. Wow!!! I expect you will. That is a whole lotta cousins. Do you have family reunions on either side? How many of those cousins do you know/would you recognize? I have 21. ---
**Author:** ![Labtrash](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/labtrash/32/528_2.png) [@Labtrash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labtrash)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2004, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-first-cousins-do-you-have/268975/58 "2004-10-13T18:41:00Z")
Mom was 11th of 12 - ALL of them had 3 or more kids so I’m guessing about 80 her side Dad was 4th of 4 12 his side (and MUCH easier to count!) so, maybe around 90 - 100 Mom’s side had a reunion in Quebec two months ago - about 65 of us showed up. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2004, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-first-cousins-do-you-have/268975/59 "2004-10-13T19:17:46Z")
I win on the low end. I don’t have any first cousins and I never will. Dad is an only child. Mom has one brother who is 60 years old and never had kids. Haj ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2004, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-first-cousins-do-you-have/268975/60 "2004-10-13T19:20:32Z")
> [@tesseract](#): > > Wow!!! I expect you will. That is a whole lotta cousins. Do you have family reunions on either side? How many of those cousins do you know/would you recognize? Yep, there are reunions, though I don’t attend any longer. On my mother’s side, I know maybe a quarter of them. The redheads belong to Aunt Mary and Uncle Don, that sort of thing. On my father’s side, it’s better, but still I am younger than many of my cousins’ children, so while I can often place them in a family under the right circumstances, I wouldn’t know them on the street. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-first-cousins-do-you-have/268975.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-first-cousins-do-you-have/268975.md?page=4)