# 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:** 9\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![gfloyd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d2c977/32.png) [@gfloyd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gfloyd)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-first-cousins-do-you-have/268975/101 "2004-10-15T04:51:39Z")
I have six on my mother’s side and two on my father’s. However, I think I need a slide rule for my second cousins. Mother’s mother, youngers of ten or twelve, mother’s father, five or six. The number is between 40 and 60, almost all in Ireland. Father’s mother, youngest of 12. No bloody idea, as some those children were born in Sweden, the rest in northing Michigan. Lots. Father’s father, one brother, who had three children. Wait, can we tell which one of my grandparents is the Jewish city boy and not the farm kid? ---
**Author:** ![Sternvogel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-first-cousins-do-you-have/268975/102 "2004-10-15T05:29:58Z")
Five – my mother’s brother has a daughter and son, while Mom’s sister has two sons and a daughter. My dad had two sisters, but one died childless, while the other (born 1948) is presumably past her (potential) child-bearing years. ---
**Author:** ![auliya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/90db22/32.png) [@auliya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/auliya)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-first-cousins-do-you-have/268975/103 "2004-10-15T12:56:40Z")
wow - that took some thinking and adding. 19 all up -14 on my father’s side and 5 on my mothers. ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-first-cousins-do-you-have/268975/104 "2004-10-15T14:39:06Z")
I have 8 first cousins. Two of which were adopted into the family and one cousin was adopted “out of the family”. By “out of the family”, my uncle’s ex-wife remarried and Stevie was adopted by his “Step-father”. I have never met Stevie, as my uncle was divorced before I was born. He lives about 300 miles away from me, my closest living blood relative. ---
**Author:** ![Cazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cazzle/32/75_2.png) [@Cazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cazzle)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-first-cousins-do-you-have/268975/105 "2004-10-15T14:55:12Z")
Fifteen although one was stillborn. Only three of my cousins are female. ---
**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-first-cousins-do-you-have/268975/106 "2004-10-15T15:01:55Z")
I have 12 first cousins, one of whom was adopted. I have eight on my mother’s side (where I am the oldest of my generation) and four on my father’s side (where I am third of six total [with my sister]). My kids have 10 first cousins. I have one sister who has five and my wife has a sister with five (and an unmarried brother). We, ourselves, have three. My oldest is the oldest cousin on both sides. Zev Steinhardt ---
**Author:** ![vix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a88e4f/32.png) [@vix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vix)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-first-cousins-do-you-have/268975/107 "2004-10-15T15:19:20Z")
There are three first cousins on my father’s side (one is deceased) and four on my mom’s side. I’ve got two siblings, and our family is the biggest on either side. And we’re Italian Catholic! ---
**Author:** ![plnnr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@plnnr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/plnnr)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-first-cousins-do-you-have/268975/108 "2004-10-15T16:47:32Z")
13 and they are all on my father’s side as my mother was an only child ---
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-first-cousins-do-you-have/268975/109 "2004-10-15T18:29:12Z")
I have six cousins. My husband, however, has over 40 just on his mom’s side (only two on his dad’s). I don’t think he knows exactly how many. Guess which one of us comes from Mormon pioneer stock? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-first-cousins-do-you-have/268975.md?page=5)