Genealogy Terms

A

Ancestor - A person from whom one is descended.
Ancestry - Descent or lineage.
Aunt - The sister of one's father or mother; the wife of one's uncle.

B

Brother - A male sharing the same parents; a male sibling.
Brother-in-law - The husband of one's sister; the brother of one's husband or wife.

C

Child - A son or daughter.
Cousin (first cousin) - People who have the same grandparents, but not the same parents.
Cross cousin - A cousin who is the child of one's mother's brother or one's father's sister.

D

Daughter - Female child.
Daugher-in-law - The wife of one's son.
Double cousins - Cousins that share both sets of grandparents.

F

Father - A male parent.
Father-in-law - The father of one's husband or wife.
First cousin (cousin) - People who have the same grandparents, but not the same parents.

G

Genealogy - A record or table of ancestory; study of one's ancestry.
Given name - Name given to a person at birth or baptism; one's first and middle names.
Grandchild - The child of one's son or daughter; grandson or granddaughter.
Granddaughter - The daughter of one's child.
Grandfather - The father of one's father or mother.
Grandmother - The mother of one's father or mother.
Grandnephew - The grandson of a brother or sister.
Grandniece - The granddaughter of a brother or sister.
Grandparent - A parent of one's mother or father; grandfather or grandmother.
Grandson - The son of one's child.
Great-grandfather - The father of one's grandfather or grandmother.
Great-grandmother - The mother of one's grandfather or grandmother.
Great-grandparent - A parent of one's grandfather or grandmother.

H

Half-brother - A male sharing one parent, but not both.
Half-sister - A female sharing one parent, but not both.

I

Illegitimate - Born to a mother who was not married to the child's father.
In-law - A relative by marriage.

L

Late - Deceased.
Lineage - Ancestry; direct descent from a specific ancestor.

M

Maternal - Of or pertaining to a mother.
Mother - A female parent.
Mother-in-law - The mother of one's husband or wife.

N

Nephew - The son of a brother or sister.
Niece - The daughter of a brother or sister.

P

Parent - One who begets, or brings forth, offspring; a father or a mother.
Paternal - Of or pertaining to a father.
Pedigree - A line of ancestors; family tree; lineage.

R

Removed - A generational difference. Once removed being one generation, twice removed two generations etc.

S

Second cousin - People who have the same great-grandparents, but not the same grandparents.
Sibling - Someone sharing the same parents; one's brother or sister.
Sister - A female sharing the same parents; a female sibling.
Sister-in-law - The wife of one's brother; the sister of one's husband or wife.
Son - Male child.
Son-in-law - The husband of one's daughter.
Step relative - A relative by subsequent marriage.
Surname - Last name; family name.

T

Third cousin - People who have the same great-great-grandparents, but not the same great-grandparents.

U

Uncle - The brother of one's father or mother; the husband of one's aunt.