How to Know the Different Names of Family Members

Author Info

Last Updated: February 6, 2026 References

You probably know who your parents and siblings are. But who exactly is called your third cousin, or your double cousin? Humans and their relationships are complicated, so you're going to hear someone talk about their far relatives. This article will show you the different family members.

Part 1

Part 1 of 5:

First-Degree Relatives

Download Article

1
Use the word "mother", "mom", "mama", or "mommy" to describe a female that has a biological or emotional relationship with you.
- You might have a biological mother, a stepmother, or a person that acts like a mother.
- Biological mothers have 50% genetic meet (meaning you share 50% of the genetics from your mother)
- A surrogate mother is a person who helps another female give birth. If the female cannot give birth, the surrogate helps them.
- Mother's Day celebrates the role of mothers. In the U.S, it's on the second Sunday of May.
2
Use the word "father", "dad", "papa", or "daddy" to describe a male that has a biological or emotional relationship with you.
- You might have a biological father, a stepfather, or a person that acts like a father.
- Biological fathers have 50% genetic meet (meaning you share 50% of the genetics from your father)
- Sperm donor fathers are males that have donated their sperm for a female to have a baby using artificial insemination or in vitro fertilization.
- Father's Day celebrates the role of fathers. In the U.S it's on the third Sunday in June.
Advertisement
3
Use the word "siblings" to describe people (either female or male) that come from the same parents as you.
- Biological siblings share 50% of the genetics with you.
- You can have biological siblings, half-siblings, or step-siblings.
- Half-siblings are siblings that share only one parent in common (so only 25% genetics in common with you). Step-siblings are only related through their parents' marriage.
- A male sibling is called a brother (sometimes shortened to bro’), and a female sibling is called a sister (sometimes shortened to sis’).
- In some countries there is a Siblings Day every April 10th. It celebrates the role of siblings.

Part 2

Part 2 of 5:

Second-Degree Relatives

Download Article

1
Use the word "uncle" to describe your mother or father's brother. (either biological, adopted, or stepbrother).
- He is also your grandparents' offspring.
- You share 25% of your genes with your uncle.
- Your maternal uncle is your mother's brother, and your paternal uncle is your father's brother.
- Keep in mind that not every person that calls a person "uncle" is their actual uncle. Some cultures (e.g. East Asian cultures) call a person older than them their "uncle" or "aunt" for a title of respect, just like the US calls people by Mr., Ms., and Mrs.
2
Use the word "aunt" to describe your mother or father's sister. (either biological, adopted, or stepsister).
- She is also your grandparents' offspring.
- You share 25% of your genes with your aunt.
- Your maternal aunt is your mother's sister, and your paternal aunt is your father's sister.
- Keep in mind that not every person that calls a person "aunt" is referring to their actual aunt. Some cultures (e.g. East Asian cultures) call a person older than them their "uncle" or "aunt" for a title of respect, just like the US calls people by Mr., Ms., and Mrs.
3
Use the term, "double first cousins" to describe people that share 4 of your grandparents.
- When siblings from a family marry siblings of another family, their offspring are your double cousins.
4
Use the term "niece" or "nephew" to talk about your siblings' children.
- A niece is your sibling's female child, and a nephew is your sibling's male child.
- They share 25% of the genes with you.
5
Use the term "grandparent" to talk about your parents' parents. For example, your father's mother or your mother's father are both your grandparents.
- A female grandparent can be called a "grandmother", a "grandma", "granny", or a "nana".
- A male grandparent can be called a "grandfather", a "grandpa", "grampa", or "paw-paw".
- Your maternal grandparents are your mother's parents, and your paternal grandparents are your father's parents.
- Grandparents share 25% of the genes with you.
- A few hundred years ago, technology wasn't that advanced. People died early due to bad medical practices (e.g. not washing hands, touching infected people, not bathing frequently, etc.) Nowadays, there can be as many as 3 or 4 generations that are alive. More people became grandparents during their lifetime as a result.
- Some countries have a Grandparents Day, which celebrates the role of grandparents.

Part 3

Part 3 of 5:

Third-Degree Relatives

Download Article

1
Use the term "first cousin" to describe the child/children of your uncles and aunts.
- They share 12.5% of the genes with you.
- They have the same grandparent/s as you.
- Half first cousins are cousins that share only one grandparent, as opposed to two of them.
- The word "cousin" can also refer to things that are similar. For example, people might say that motorcycles are the cousins of scooters, or that Americans are cousins of Europeans.
2
Use the term, "half uncle" or "half aunt" to describe your father or mother's half siblings.
- They share 12.5% of the genes with you.
- A paternal half-uncle is your father's half brother, and a maternal half-uncle is your mother's half brother.
- A paternal half-aunt is your father's half sister, and a maternal half-aunt is your mother's half sister.
3
Use the term, "great-grandparent" to describe your grandparents' fathers or mothers.
- They are also your parents' grandparents.
- They share 12.5% of DNA with you.
- Since the human lifespan is becoming longer, more people are becoming great-grandparents during their lifetime.

Part 4

Part 4 of 5:

Fourth-Degree Relatives

Download Article

1
Use the term "half first cousin" to describe a person who only shares one grandparent with you.
- If one of your grandparents had children without your other grandparent, their grandchildren would be your half-cousins.
- If your parents' half-siblings had children, their children would be your half-cousins.
- They share 6.25% of the DNA with you.
2
Use the term "great-great grandparents" to describe your grandparents' parents.
- People nowadays rarely live to become a great-great grandparent. You would have to be born in the Greatest or Lost Generations (people born from 1883-1924) to become a great-great grandparent. People usually don't live up to 100+ years old.
- They share 6.25% of the DNA with you.
3
Use the term "first cousin once removed" to indicate a first cousin that is one generation younger or older than you.
- They share 6.25% of the DNA with you.

Part 5

Part 5 of 5:

Understanding Genealogy Terms

Download Article

1
Know who a relative is. A relative is someone who shares DNA and/or a relationship with you.
- It could be a father, mother, stepbrother, cousin, etc.
2
Understand the term "DNA". DNA stands for deoxyribonucleic acid.DNA is present in all organisms, from mushrooms to alligators to humans.
- DNA contains all of our genes and traits. They contain the instructions to code you as a unique person. They control whether or not you have blonde hair, have brown eyes, or if you're tall or short.
- DNA gets passed on to each consecutive generation when organisms breed. In humans, each parent gives 23 pairs of chromosomes to their children.
3
Know what chromosomes are. Chromosomes are organized structures containing DNA. They are inside of a cell.
- During reproduction, chromosomes get passed on from parents to their kids.
4
Know what the term "once removed" means. The term means relatives who are separated by one generation.
- If someone said that they were your first cousin once removed, this means that the person is your first cousin in your parents' or children's generation.