Double First Cousins

My father M. Neil is a double first cousin to his double first cousin Dale! Does that confuse you? Essentially it means that they are each others first cousin twice! They share grandparents on both sides of the family tree.

They are double related!

Their fathers were brothers and their mothers were sisters who just so happened to marry within an 11 month span. Dale was born in 1946 and my father was born in 1951 after my grandparents suffered infertility and a full term stillbirth. These two children, Dale and M. Neil, share 25% of their DNA. Typical first cousins share 12.5% DNA.

They are more half siblings genetically than traditional cousins.

My dad remembers how he was always with his cousin Dale at holidays and events. Sharing both sides of grandparents, aunts, and uncles, they seemed to coexist in the same world at every turn. He loved having a playmate at these get togethers! It is very special they share this DNA bond and memories with each other.

So, what are the children of double first cousins called? Simply, they are double second cousins. They share a whopping 12.5% DNA. These cousins, like myself and Dales daughter Amy, are more genetically linked like first cousins.

Do you have this type of connection in your family tree?

I recently wrote a post about not ignoring family tree connections. Read it here!