# How many First Cousins have you had? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 14, 2014, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-first-cousins-have-you-had/683695 "2014-03-14T15:25:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![tapu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@tapu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tapu)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2014, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-first-cousins-have-you-had/683695/61 "2014-03-14T21:45:15Z")
> [@Zeldar](#): > > If that’s the case, and I do know that some families don’t go by these same names, then at least the relationships in [this consanguinity chart](http://www.chickasawcoia-geniesoc.org/chart_page01.htm) can help sort out one version of the terminology. YMMV. Oh, that’s great. And it conforms to how we use the terms in WVA/OH. ---
**Author:** ![tapu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@tapu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tapu)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2014, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-first-cousins-have-you-had/683695/62 "2014-03-14T21:46:55Z")
> [@kambuckta](#): > > Eighteen on my mum’s side (she was one of six kids). Just one on my dad’s. > > So, 19 all up (18 living as far as I know. One cousin died in infancy). Oh, my, if we add in “died in infancy”… :eek: ---
**Author:** ![tapu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@tapu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tapu)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2014, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-first-cousins-have-you-had/683695/63 "2014-03-14T21:49:01Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#): > > And then some of us just have really big families. Right. And that’s where I’m coming from. But I’ve learned that not too many of my wonderful cousins have a clue as to what a first cousin once removed is vs. a full second cousin. ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2014, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-first-cousins-have-you-had/683695/64 "2014-03-14T21:50:57Z")
42 first cousins, one now deceased. StG ---
**Author:** ![tapu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@tapu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tapu)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2014, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-first-cousins-have-you-had/683695/65 "2014-03-14T21:59:16Z")
I can’t help myself!! Here are the blog entries regarding this topic: [tapu’s cousins a’nat.](http://tapu-tapu-tapu.blogspot.com/search?q=once+removed) ---
**Author:** ![percypercy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8baadc/32.png) [@percypercy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/percypercy)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2014, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-first-cousins-have-you-had/683695/66 "2014-03-14T22:00:12Z")
Just 3, I think, all from my mom’s side. My dad’s sister got married late and has no children. I haven’t seen any of my cousins in over 20 years. One I don’t recall meeting at all, though she could have been around when I was a baby. ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2014, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-first-cousins-have-you-had/683695/67 "2014-03-14T22:14:18Z")
I’ve never had any first cousins. Both my father and mother were only children. ---
**Author:** ![jabiru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbce88/32.png) [@jabiru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jabiru)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2014, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-first-cousins-have-you-had/683695/68 "2014-03-14T22:34:02Z")
13, three on Mum’s side and 10 on Dad’s. I haven’t seen any of them for decades - can’t even find them of Facebook. I’m an only child myself and both my parents are dead so it’d be nice to have some family (apart from husband and sons) to feel connected to but I guess that’s not going to happen. ---
**Author:** ![protoboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/fbc32d/32.png) [@protoboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/protoboard)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2014, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-first-cousins-have-you-had/683695/69 "2014-03-14T22:59:52Z")
Somewhere between 10 and 15 total. One of them is adopted though. ---
**Author:** ![actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/actualliberalnotoneofthose)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2014, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-first-cousins-have-you-had/683695/70 "2014-03-14T23:02:36Z")
I haven’t had any cousins. That wouldn’t be right. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2014, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-first-cousins-have-you-had/683695/71 "2014-03-14T23:06:15Z")
> [@protoboard](#): > > Somewhere between 10 and 15 total. One of them is adopted though. I don’t know the official term for that relationship. If your parents adopt a child then that child is what to you? Half-sibling? What? I suspect that the aunt and uncle’s adopted child would be that same version of cousin to you even if there’s no blood relationship involved. Who knows that term? ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2014, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-first-cousins-have-you-had/683695/72 "2014-03-14T23:08:46Z")
I have five, all of whom are older than I am. Two of them are old enough to be my parents. I have five cousins once removed and and at least three cousins twice removed. That is my entire family, so far as I know. ---
**Author:** ![tapu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@tapu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tapu)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2014, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-first-cousins-have-you-had/683695/73 "2014-03-14T23:25:22Z")
By adoption doesn’t matter. Unless… it matters to you. ---
**Author:** ![vix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a88e4f/32.png) [@vix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vix)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2014, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-first-cousins-have-you-had/683695/74 "2014-03-14T23:40:49Z")
I have 7. My husband has well over 40, possibly over 50. ---
**Author:** ![Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulf_the_Unwashed)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2014, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-first-cousins-have-you-had/683695/75 "2014-03-14T23:53:18Z")
Fourteen. I know where all of them are and what they’re up to. They’ve produced a total of twenty kids so far, my own kids’ second cousins (on my side). ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2014, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-first-cousins-have-you-had/683695/76 "2014-03-15T00:14:46Z")
My mom had 5 sisters (and at least two brothers) who lived to adulthood. Each had at least 4 kids (some more) - so around 30 there (I am actually the youngest grandkid of my maternal Grandparents) I know my dad had at least two sisters - I forget how many brothers. One sister had 12 kids. I think there are 30ish there as well Brian ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2014, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-first-cousins-have-you-had/683695/77 "2014-03-15T00:29:57Z")
I have only two first cousins - my mother, on the other hand, had 31. ---
**Author:** ![missred](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/missred/32/14096_2.png) [@missred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missred)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2014, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-first-cousins-have-you-had/683695/78 "2014-03-15T00:35:08Z")
> [@tapu](#): > > You mean, “double cousins”? Lots of people have never heard of that, as I found out after leaving Appalachia. 🙂 Yes. Mom’s sister married Dad’s brother and had three daughters. It’not uncommon in past generations in rural areas. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2014, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-first-cousins-have-you-had/683695/79 "2014-03-15T00:58:44Z")
I’m pretty sure it’s more than 10 but less than 15. My mother was an only child, but my father had four siblings, all of whom had children. Some I’ve met only once or twice, and that was 40 or more years ago! A handful I met up with as recently as 1999. Eleven or 12 sounds about right, but 13 or 14 is not out of the question. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2014, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-first-cousins-have-you-had/683695/80 "2014-03-15T01:04:57Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > I’m pretty sure it’s more than 10 but less than 15. My mother was an only child, but my father had four siblings, all of whom had children. Some I’ve met only once or twice, and that was 40 or more years ago! A handful I met up with as recently as 1999. Eleven or 12 sounds about right, but 13 or 14 is not out of the question. Afterthought: Are we counting stepcousins? One uncle married a woman with children from a previous marriage. I felt guilty excluding them from the vote – I do consider them full cousins, but in voting I went with just biological cousins. But they’re family too. They might push the total over 15. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-first-cousins-have-you-had/683695.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-first-cousins-have-you-had/683695.md?page=5)