Cousins share a special kinship that is often unique to their generation. They might be second cousins or first cousins once removed, but regardless of the degree of kinship and specific cousin relationship, they are still family. Therefore, it stands to reason that you would want to know what to call your cousin’s child. Cousins share a special bond that is rare between other family members. And while finding out what you call your cousin’s child can seem like an oddly specific question, it does arise more often than you might think. For example, if you have a cousin who recently had a baby and you plan on seeing them again at some point in the future, it’s good to know how to refer to the baby-bearing cousin’s offspring. If you’re looking for an answer to this question about your cousin’s child, read on for answers from several different viewpoints: what do you call your cousin’s child if they are also part of your extended family?
What Do You Call Your Cousin’s Child?
There is no definitive answer to this question, as cousin’s children can be referred to in a variety of ways. Some people might simply call them “cousins,” while others might refer to them by their specific relationship (e.g., “first cousin once removed”). Ultimately, it is up to the individual to decide how they want to refer to their cousin’s child.
How To Address A Cousin’s Child?
- First of all, let’s start by addressing the fact that the child is a cousin. For example, if you have a cousin that has a child, and the child is also your first cousin once removed, you would refer to him or her as your “first cousin once removed’s son/daughter.” This can get confusing because it seems unwieldy and awkward at first glance. However, this is just an example of how to address your cousin’s child.
- Next, let’s talk about what you call your cousins’ children when they are not part of your extended family. This can be trickier than it seems because it depends on whether or not the child is older or younger than you. If you are older than the child in question, then it’s perfectly acceptable to call them by their first name (or nickname). However, if you are younger than them then you should use their last name and refer to them as “Mr./Ms./Mrs., etc., (last name).
- If the child in question is part of an extended family member like an uncle or aunt then you would address them as such: Mr./Ms./Mrs., (last name), (relationship), for example, Mr./Ms./Mrs., Jones (aunt).
- If there are multiple children in question who belong to different generations within one family line (for example cousins who have kids) you would address them according to their relationship with you. For example, if your cousin has a child and they are also your uncle or aunt, then you would call them Mr./Ms./Mrs., (last name) (uncle/aunt).
- If the child in question is not related to you by blood then you would address them as such: Mr./Ms./Mrs., Last Name (relationship), for example, Mr./Ms./Mrs., Smith (friend).
- If the child in question is adopted or step-family, then it’s acceptable to refer to them by their first name regardless of whether or not they are older or younger than you.
- And finally, if the child in question is neither related to you by blood nor part of an extended family member and they are older than you, then it’s perfectly acceptable for you to call them by their first name regardless of whether or not they are an adult. However, if they are younger than you then it’s customary for younger people to refer to older people as “Mr./Ms./Mrs., etc.
What Is The Correct Way To Refer To A Cousin’s Child?
- If your cousin is also your aunt or uncle, then you call their child your first cousin.
- If you have a cousin who is also your aunt or uncle, then you refer to their child as your first cousin. For example, if you have a brother who has three children and one of those children is the child of his sister’s husband (your cousin), then the proper way to refer to that child would be “your first cousin once removed.”
- If one of your cousins has married into the family, then you call their child a step-cousin.
- If neither situation applies and both parents are related by blood or marriage, then you refer to their child as your first cousin.
- If neither situation applies, but both parents are not related by blood or marriage, then you call their offspring your second cousin.
- If neither situation applies and one parent is related by blood or marriage and the other is not, then you call their child a second cousin once removed/second cousin twice removed depending on how far back in time two individuals shared common ancestors.
When Should You Use “ Nephew”, “ Niece”, Or “ Cousin”?
- When referring to your cousins, it is correct to use “cousin”.
- When referring to your aunt’s or uncle’s child, you should use “nephew” or “niece”.
- When referring to any first cousin, you would use the term “first cousin once removed”.
- If the first cousin is male, use the term “first cousin once removed and a half”.
- If the first cousin is female, you can use either “first cousin once removed and a half” or simply “first cousin twice removed”.
- For second cousins, you would say “second cousins once removed”.
- For third cousins, say “third cousins once removed”.
Which Terms Are Considered Offending And Which Are Not?
This is the most common term that is used to address a person who is related to you by blood. You might be second cousins, first cousins once removed, or even first cousins twice removed, but no matter your relationship or how many times removed you are, you are still cousins.
A nephew is the son of your sibling while a niece is the daughter of your sibling. Therefore, if you have a cousin who has at least one child born from his or her relationship with another person and that child has children as well, you can refer to them as your nephews and nieces.
While this term might be considered offensive because it does not specify which part of your family someone comes from, it can still be used in certain situations for example if you want to refer to both sides of the family such as when someone asks about the well-being of both their mother and father’s side of the family.
If someone asks about their grandchildren, they are asking about all of their grandchildren regardless if they are on one side or both sides of their family tree; therefore using this terminology would not be an issue at all since they will consider both sides as one big family unit in which everyone is related in some way or another 5. Great-grandchildren/Great-granddaughter: When referring to great-grandchildren vs great-granddaughters (as well as great-grandchildren vs great-grandfathers and great-grandchildren vs great-grandmothers), the only difference is that the former is a male and the latter is a female.
Great-great grandchildren/Great-great granddaughter:
The same rule applies when referring to great-grandchildren as it does to their cousins. The only difference is that the latter is a female, and the former is a male.
How To Refer To Cousins Who Are Also Children Of Other Relatives?
- If your cousin is married to someone in your immediate family, you can call the child by their first name or by their last name. For example, if your cousin was married to your aunt, you could call the child either “Aunt Jennifer’s son” or “Uncle John’s son.”
- If your cousin is married to someone who is not part of your immediate family but who is still a relative, you can call them by their first and last names. For example, if your second cousin was married to a man who was not related to you but was related to the rest of your family (like an uncle), then the two of them would be referred to as “Uncle Joe and Aunt Karen.”
- If neither of these situations applies and there isn’t anyone else in the extended family who will take on an authoritative role for the child (like a godparent), then you should refer to them as simply “your cousin’s child.”
- If none of these situations apply and there are no other relatives at all in the extended family who will take on an authoritative role for the child (again, like a godparent), then it depends on whether or not they have been formally adopted into another family. If they have been adopted into another family that has taken a parental role for them, then it’s best just to refer to them as “the adopted child” along with their last name.
- If they have not been adopted and there are no other relatives in the extended family who will take on an authoritative role for them, then it’s best just to refer to them as “your cousin’s child” along with their last name.
- If you’re unsure of what to call your cousin’s child (or if you don’t know your cousin very well), it’s best just to refer to them as “your cousin’s child.”
There are many ways to refer to a cousin’s child, and it’s important to know which terms are considered appropriate and which are not. In order to make sure you are addressing the child appropriately, you should know what type of cousin you are and what type of cousins the child has. If you’re not sure, simply ask your cousin which terms are considered appropriate for the situation. And if you’re still confused, don’t be afraid to ask someone else.