Great-nephew or niece
A great-nephew or niece is a relative to whom you are a great-uncle. The same page covers both terms.
The route
Red line: from you (1 step up) and 3 steps down. Gold: the shared ancestor.
How to count it
Go up 1 step from you to the shared ancestor, then down 3 to the other person. The extra 2 generations below your sibling-level is where the "great" prefixes come from: your great-uncle is the sibling of your ancestor, and you are their great-nephew or niece.
Cousin counting is the standard genealogical convention. Different families and legal systems sometimes use looser words, so check the naming conventions guide if a relative uses a different term.
Facts at a glance
| Term | great-nephew or niece |
|---|---|
| Reciprocal | great-uncle |
| By gender | Man: great-nephew. Woman: great-niece. |
| Steps up (a, b) | 1, 3 |
| Civil-law degree | 4 |
| Canon-law degree | 3 |
| Average DNA shared (full) | 12.5% |
| Average DNA shared (half) | 6.25% |
Full and half
The figures above assume full relatives, who share a couple as common ancestors. If the link runs through just one person, because of a remarriage or a different other parent, the relationship is a half relationship. It is usually written half great-nephew or niece, and the average shared DNA falls to 6.25%. See full and half relatives.
The DNA numbers are theoretical averages. Real amounts vary a lot from one pair to the next, especially for distant cousins, so read the DNA guide before comparing against a test.
Check your own relationship in the calculator, or see where this term sits on the chart.
Nearby terms
- Before: nephew or niece
- After: great-great-nephew or niece
- All terms