Technically speaking, your second cousin is one with whom you share a set of great-grandparents. Another way of looking at is that if two individuals are first cousins then their children are second cousins.
Often people just think that their second cousin is simply their relationship to the child of their first cousin. That’s technically a first cousin once removed.
A chart on the National Genealogical Society website explains the relationships.
Personally instead of saying “Susan and I are second cousins” it is more clear to say that “my Grandma Ufkes and her Grandma Habben were sisters,” perhaps naming the grandmas as well. People are more concerned how you are related than what that relationship is called and explaining it is certainly more clear than only saying what the relationship is.
No responses yet