
Families are huge, and your family tree can seem endless if you keep zooming out. For this reason, many people might not know who their third cousin is or if they even have one at all.
While this may be the case, knowing who your third cousin is can be important. It can help you learn more about your family, bring you closer to other family members, and even help you fill out that wedding invitation list with the right people.
Even though it may seem hard to find your third cousin without the right resources, we’re here to help. Whether you want to learn more about your third cousins or find out if you even have one, you’re in the right place. Read on to learn more about what third cousins are and how you can find them.
What Is a Third Cousin?
A third cousin is not like your first or second cousin, which is why many people don’t know who their third cousin is. The good news is that we can explain what a third cousin is without having to pull up one of those aggravating family trees. Simply put, a third cousin is the child of one of your parent’s second cousins.
You can actually follow this tree down even further to help you find your first or second cousin. For example, your second cousin is the child of one of your parent’s first cousins, and your first cousin is the child of one of your parent’s siblings.
Getting back to third cousins, you typically share a set of great-grandparents with them, so many people consider them family. Additionally, you can zoom this chart out even further and consider fourth, fifth, and even sixth cousins if you’d like. However, this is a slippery slope because everyone is related if you go back far enough.
What Is a Third Cousin Once-Removed?
A third cousin once removed means that your third cousin is not a part of your generation. In other words, there is some type of age gap there, usually 10 or more years. An example of a third cousin once removed would be your third cousin’s child.
Does Everyone Have a Third Cousin?
Before you start your search, you might want to know if everyone even has a third cousin. While you might not know them, there’s a good chance that you have one. In fact, if you really get into it, you’ll find out that everyone on Earth is your cousin in one way or another. That said, the family lineage gets more fuzzy as you zoom out.
Are Third Cousins Family?
Yes, third cousins are family. Most families tend to stop at third cousins because it’s hard to find or keep in touch with people who don’t have the same set of great-grandparents or grandparents.
Unfortunately, you might not always see your third cousins or even know who they are because they’re far along in the family tree. The good news is that even if you don’t know who your third cousins are, you can still find them.
How Many Third Cousins Can You Have?
To make matters even more interesting, you can have more than one third cousin. While it may sound like your cousins fall in numerical order, that’s not always the case. So, it’s possible to have two, three, or even more third cousins. Ultimately, it comes down to what your family tree looks like and what your family lineage may entail.
How to Find Your Third Cousin
There are a few ways to find your third cousin. However, some methods are better than others. Plus, you’ll find that some methods offer vague results but with a high price tag.
The good news is that there are plenty of affordable tools you can use to find or learn more about your third cousins. We cover these tools in detail below.
PublicRecord.com
If you have a third cousin, there’s a good chance that there’s a public record of it out there somewhere. You can use our tools at PublicRecord.com to find information about your third cousin. In fact, we can even help you determine if you have one or not; this way, you don’t have to worry about wasting your time.
If you don’t know anything about your third cousin and want to see if you have one, you can run your information through our people search tool. This can reveal some of your relatives and their contact information, so you can begin your search.
On the other hand, if you do have your third cousin’s name you can use our people search tool to find their contact information.
Another benefit of PublicRecord.com is that you don’t have to worry about knowing if you even have a third cousin, only to have no idea how to connect with them.
When you run a search with PublicRecord.com we can help you find their address or phone number to help you reach out. We can even help you find out who a number is registered to and who lives at an address.
So, while many people use DNA tools or scramble to look through old family photos, there’s no better place to start your search than PublicRecord.com.
Take a DNA Test
A DNA test is another tool you can use to find information about your third cousin. DNA tests are one of the most popular methods for obtaining this information.
However, this method can be expensive, and you’ll have to provide some DNA samples, which can be uncomfortable. Typically, you have to provide saliva in a tube or offer a urine sample, like you would for a drug test.
Despite the difficulties, taking a DNA test is one of the best ways to find your third cousin. This is because it will outline your entire family tree and match you with people who have the same DNA.
If you don’t know much about your family at all, this is one of the best places to start because you won’t have to ask anyone about names or anything like that. Essentially, it’s something you can do even if you’re a child of adoption.
Just make sure you always work with the right DNA sampling company. Some companies charge more than others, but they may do so because they’re offering more services. For these reasons, make sure you do some research before you choose a DNA company to work with.
Ask a Family Member
This one might sound self-explanatory, but you can always ask a family member for information about your third cousin. After all, someone in your family might know more than you do about members of your family tree.
While asking a family member can be helpful, it’s not something that will always work. For example, people in your family might not know who your third cousin is. Additionally, family members might not know who the great-great-grandparent that you share is.
Unfortunately, this can make it even harder to find your third cousin, so it’s not the worst idea to start with a DNA test or PublicRecords.com. This method also won’t work if you’re adopted or if you don’t have any family members you keep in contact with, so keep this in mind as well.
Check Your Family Tree
If you have access to the right information, you can start to look for your third cousin on your own using your last name and family tree. You’ll want to go backward from when you were born all the way to your great-great-grandparents. To get there, you’ll have to count back four generations. From there, you can trace the lineage to your third cousins.
To use this method effectively, you’ll have to know who the members of your family are. This can be done by using PublicRecords.com, speaking with family members, or taking a DNA test.
Connect With Your Third Cousin Today
If you trace your lineage back far enough, you’ll find that everyone on Earth is your cousin in some way shape, or form. While this is true, most families tend to limit their first, second, and third cousins to keep things simple. After this point, it becomes too complicated to determine who’s related anyway, so it’s a good place to start.
Finding your third cousin is easier said than done, though. This is because you have to trace your lineage all the way back to your great-grandparents. The good news is that you don’t have to worry about asking others or endlessly evaluating family trees.
Instead, start with PublicRecords.com and move on to other options like DNA tests or asking family members if you run out of options.