Descendancy and Ascendency 

 

A first cousin once removed is a term that could describe either the child of your first cousin or the child of your great aunt.  We thought it would be helpful to distinguish the two. Thus, cousins in the descendancy include an asterisk (*) to distinguish from cousins in the ascendancy. 

 

For example, the child of your first cousin is called a cousin in the descendancy or your 1C1R* (1st cousin once removed).

 

To understand the difference, it may help to think of this person as a descendant of a full cousin. The child of your great aunt is a cousin in the ascendancy or your 1C1R. 

 

In this case, the person is actually an ancestor of one of your full cousins or is your second cousin.  

 

See illustration below for a visual  guide.