I knew I was going to love the Cousin Finder, recently introduced by MyHeritage, I just had no idea HOW MUCH I would love it.
For a very long time, I’ve wanted a list of everyone with my specific ancestor in their tree. With the introduction of Cousin-Finder, you don’t even need to search. Cousin Finder finds them for you – automatically.
Cousin Finder isn’t just for DNA matches, although DNA matches are included, too. Better even yet, these people are all potential DNA matches.
Cousin Finder provides you with a list of the other MyHeritage members who have the same ancestor, or ancestral couple in their tree as you do in yours, along with your relationship to each other, how you both descend from the ancestor, and more.
Warning!
Warning: Cousin Finder is crack for genealogists – it’s highly addictive. I started reviewing my Cousin Finder matches to write this article. The next thing you know, I’ve created a spreadsheet that tracks how we are related, our common shared ancestor(s), if we are a DNA match, and additional information.
There are unexpected bonuses too. I accidentally found answers to questions I’ve had for YEARS. For example, I have ancestors whose child or children I can’t locate in adulthood. If these trees are right, which is always a caveat, Cousin Finder matches answer several of those questions because they descend from those children.
There’s a LOT to glean from these tree matches so let’s step through using Cousin Finder.
Let’s GO!
Everyone with a tree at MyHeritage has Cousin Finder.
Sign in to your MyHeritage account, and under Discoveries, click on Cousin Finder.
Next, you’ll see that MyHeritage is comparing trees and calculating the members with trees that hold at least one discernible common ancestor with you.
The word “discernible” is important here, because you may see a match listed with only one person of an ancestral couple who wasn’t married twice. If the ancestors’ names are spelled differently or omitted, the system may not be able to determine that the second person of the couple is your ancestor too. Keep that in mind as you work through your matches.
Every time you select Cousin Finder, you have the option to recalculate, so I record the number of matches found each time.
This time, I have 378 people on my list, and I CANNOT wait to see who is there and what those matches reveal.
About Half-Relationships
Half relationships are often not noted as such. While it may not be relevant for just trees, it’s certainly relevant in terms of how much shared DNA to expect.
In the example above, sharing only one parent, John, would mean that the child of your ancestor that you descend from, Wife 1, would only be half-siblings with the child of your ancestor and their other spouse, Wife 2. Half-siblings share half as much DNA, on average, as full siblings.
The children of half-siblings are half first cousins (half 1C), who also share approximately half as much DNA as full first cousins.
Never assume that if only one ancestor is showing in Cousin Finder, it means that it’s a half relationship. Also, don’t assume that your ancestor had a second spouse, or that the other person descends from a second known spouse. Showing only one ancestor could mean that the spouse’s name is spelled differently, omitted, wrong entirely or something else – so always check their full tree.
We will run across these when viewing matching trees, so let’s see what Cousin Finder looks like!
Using Cousin Finder
My closest matches are people I know and am closely related to, so for purposes of this comparison, I’m moving to a cousin I don’t already know.
MyHeritage provides a LOT of information about every cousin on your Cousin Finder list.
Susan is noted as being my third cousin’s daughter, which is a third cousin once removed, or 3C1R. I wrote about what “removed” cousins means in the article, “Concepts: What Does a Cousin “Once Removed” Mean”?”.
I LOVE that MyHeritage shows the most recent common ancestor between the two of us – Joseph Preston Bolton.
But why doesn’t Joseph Preston Bolton’s wife show? He had two wives during his lifetime. I descend from Joseph’s second wife, Margaret Herrell. Does Susan descend from Joseph’s first wife, Mary Tankersley?
Let’s click on “View Relationship” to see more.
My connection to Joseph Preston Bolton is shown on the left side, and Susan’s is shown at right.
Since only one common ancestor is shown, this means that either:
- We descend from different wives of Joseph, meaning it’s a half-relationship.
- Joseph’s wife is also our common ancestor, but she is omitted in at least one of our trees
- Joseph’s wife is also our common ancestor, but her name is not spelled the same in both trees, so she cannot be programmatically recognized as the same person.
We need more information.
Fortunately, MyHeritage also includes a link to view Susan’s full tree.
In the portion of Susan’s tree with Joseph Bolton, we discover that Susan descends from Joseph’s first wife, Mary Tankersley. I descend from his second wife, Margaret Herrell, so indeed this is a half relationship.
Susan and I would be 3C1R if we shared the same wife of Joseph, but we don’t, so Susan and I are actually half third cousins once removed, or half 3C1R.
Evaluate the Rest of Their Tree
Always review the rest of your cousin’s tree too, because in this case, I found Cook, another name from the same county that’s also in my tree, and on Susan’s father’s side, the surname Shepard, both of which I need to research further to determine if they are the same lines.
MyHeritage makes this super-easy. Click through to the profile of the ancestor in their tree, then click on “Research this person.”
A few clicks later, I discovered that indeed, Susan and I share another set of ancestors, George Shepherd (c1700-1751) and Elizabeth Mary Angelica Daye (c1700- after 1750), but Susan didn’t have several connecting generations in her tree.
Cousin Finder Only Reports ONE Common Ancestral Line
MyHeritage only reports ONE COMMON LINE – NOT ALL common lines – so ALWAYS review the full tree of your cousin. Don’t just stop at the relationship shown.
This is especially important if you are also a DNA match, because you don’t want to misidentify the source of your shared DNA. Different DNA segments may match because they descend from different ancestors. Furthermore, half relationships only carry half as much expected DNA as full relationships.
Fortunately, MyHeritage labels Cousin Finder matches if the member is also a DNA match.
Cousin Finder DNA Matches
Pamela is a DNA match in Cousin Finder.
My relationship with Pamela is shown as my third cousin’s daughter, but she’s actually my half third cousin’s daughter, which is my half 3C1R.
But that’s just the BEGINNING of our shared story.
Click image to enlarge
There’s SO MUCH great information here.
- Our Cousin Finder relationship identifies our common ancestor as Margaret Martin Herrell, shown at the bottom. Margaret’s first married name, Martin, is listed here as her middle name, which is incorrect, but the information provided leaves no doubt about the identity of the woman in question, and MyHeritage was able to make the connection.
- Pamela and I don’t share the other parent, so Pamela descends from Anson Cook Martin, and I descend from Joseph Preston Bolton.
- Margaret’s parents, William Herrell and Mary McDowell, are shown, at right, in red.
- Pamela carries the mitochondrial DNA of her direct matrilineal line, meaning it is passed through all females back to Margaret Herrell. In other words, if I did not already have a tester who provided the mitochondrial DNA of Margaret Herrell, which is also her mother, Mary McDowell’s mitochondrial DNA – I’d reach out immediately and ask if Pamela has taken a mitochondrial DNA test at FamilyTreeDNA. If she has not, I’d explain about mitochondrial DNA testing, what it can do for us, and ask if she’d be interested in testing. I often offer a testing scholarship to sweeten the pie. .
- In addition to our closest common relative, Margaret Herrell, Pamela and I share at least four other ancestral couples, even though we don’t know Charles Campbell’s wife’s name.
Wow – just WOW!
Cousin Finder is an incredibly powerful tool!
Follow the DNA Link
Clicking on my DNA match with Pamela.reveals additional information.
Among other things, our DNA match shows that:
- We share 24cM of DNA divided into two segments
- We have 12 surnames in common
- We have four smart matches
- We share some geographical locations
Clicking on “Review DNA Match” provides much more detail about all of these features.
Scrolling through my shared matches with Pamela, and particularly the people with whom we share triangulated segments, proves our genetic connection through specific ancestors.
Two of my shared DNA matches with Pamela also descend through children of Jacob Dobkins and Dorcas Johnson, and Charles Campbell. Two sons of Charles Campbell, John and George, married two daughters of Jacob Dobkins and Dorcas Johnson.
It’s also worth noting that if I’m seeking a Campbell male for Y-DNA testing who descends from my line, there’s a Campbell male right here on our shared match list – and MyHeritage makes it VERY easy to contact your cousins.
If you haven’t yet taken a DNA test at MyHeritage, please do. There’s so much to discover.
Really Like
I REALLY like some of these features.
One of the nice built-in tree features is how MyHeritage handles pedigree collapse, labeling ancestors that appear more than once in someone’s tree.
If you’re evaluating a DNA match with another member, this individual could carry twice as much DNA of those ancestors at that relationship level than ancestors who only appear once in their tree. I wrote about the effects of pedigree collapse, here.
How Did Cousin Finder Benefit Me?
The primary Cousin Finder benefit is that MyHeritage provides a comprehensive list of common ancestors, relieving me of the need to do a lot of searching and sifting, and allowing me to make several discoveries:
- I found several people with common ancestors, including as far back as 9C1R, that I would probably never have discovered without this tool.
- Cousin Finder allows me to focus my research on people with specific common ancestors.
- These 378 Cousin Finder tree matches are spread among 74 ancestors or ancestral couples.
- Many people share multiple ancestors – including ones you’d never expect from different “sides” in different geographic locations.
- I found trees belonging to people who live near where our common German or Dutch ancestors lived, which means they may well have information that I do not. MyHeritage has a lot of European members.
- I discovered trees for people on Cousin Finder that I have DNA matches with at other DNA testing vendors, but who have no trees there. I never thought of using Cousin Finder to locate trees of matches at other companies before I accidentally made this discovery.
- All of these members are autosomal DNA testing candidates if they haven’t yet tested – and there’s no hunting for your common ancestor because you already know who it is.
- I found both Y-DNA and mitochondrial DNA test candidates for multiple ancestors. I’m very excited about this and will reach out to them, first asking if they have already taken those tests. If not, I’ll explain the benefits and offer a testing scholarship at FamilyTreeDNA.
- By viewing our common ancestors’ profiles and clicking “research this person”, I discovered hints and leads that I didn’t have before. Writing this article took me way too long because of this “distraction”!
Asking Your Cousins to DNA Test
I’m very excited that several of these people are candidates for either Y-DNA or mitochondrial DNA testing, and all of them are great candidates for autosomal testing.
One surname line in particular has evaded me for years, and there are TWO men on my Cousin Finder list with that surname who descend from our common ancestor. Either would make a wonderful Y-DNA test candidate. Fingers crossed!
Pay attention to more than just your cousin’s surname. While the member themselves may not be a candidate, the ancestor’s Y-DNA or mitochondrial DNA line may extend to their father or grandparents, meaning the tester may know uncles/aunts or first cousins who are candidates. Information from those tests would benefit both you and the tree-owner. Every single line hits a brick wall sooner or later, and those two tests can break through those brick walls when autosomal tests can’t.
What’s the worst that can happen? Your cousin might not answer or might say no. But with a little education and a nice informational exchange, they may well say yes, and you’ll have a new collaboration partner!
The answer is “no” if you don’t ask.
Observations
One of the biggest Cousin Finder challenges seems to be surname variation. For example, Claxton, Clarkson, and Clarkston are all used in the same time and place for the same person/family. In these cases, if the spouse’s surname is spelled the same in both trees, you’ll still see them as a Cousin Finder match.
I noticed that several people seem to have only one or two lines extended beyond a generation or two. It benefits everyone to extend their trees.
Cousin Finder is Available for Anyone in Your Tree
Cousin Finder isn’t limited to just you. You can view Cousin Finder matches for anyone in your tree or any tree that you own on your MyHeritage site.
Select anyone in your tree, then scroll down to “Additional Actions” and select their Cousin Finder option.
Suggestions
I do love Cousin Finder, but genealogists are always thinking about how to wring more information out of any and every opportunity. We just can’t get enough of a good thing! So, I have some suggestions, aka, not-so-subtle enhancement requests. 😊
- I would like for Cousin Finder to display multiple shared ancestors. If multiple distinct shared ancestral couples are found in the same tree, I’d like to see an entry for each one, not just the first one that Cousin Finder locates. It’s not that I’m just being lazy, either.
Common ancestors are easy to see if they show on the first page of the pedigree, but beyond fourth cousins, you need to expand all 32 lines one by one to see if there is an additional shared ancestral line, and them continue expanding to the end. The good news is that the MyHeritage tree is easy to expand, but Cousin Finder would be more friendly and useful if MyHeritage showed multiple common lines so we don’t have to hunt for them.
- I would love to be able to filter or sort in several ways, including combinations, which would probably eliminate the need for my spreadsheet where I entered all 378 Cousin Finder member entries:
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- Filter by ancestor(s)
- Filter by members with a DNA match to me
- Filter by Y-DNA and mitochondrial DNA lineage candidates for our shared ancestor
- Filter or sort by the member’s country
- Filter for or annotate a new person on the list since the last Cousin Finder calculation
- Filter or annotate a member already on your list but who has now taken a DNA test and matches you
- Thankfully, MyHeritage shows if the tree owner has taken a DNA test and matches you, but you have no way of knowing who has tested and does NOT match you. I would love to be able to filter by people who have taken a DNA test but who don’t match me. I do realize this might be a difficult ask for privacy reasons, but perhaps MyHeritage will find a way for members with common ancestors.
- Added from blog follower – The ability to make a note on each match. Also to indicate if a match is incorrect due to issues like same-name conventions. .
In Summary
Cousin Finder is a wonderful automated aggregation tool to view the trees of MyHeritage members that share known common ancestors with you based on matching within your trees..
If you have a DNA match with no tree or a small tree at another vendor, check both Cousin Finder and your DNA matches at MyHeritage.
Expanding your tree helps you by facilitating additional Cousin Finder matches.
It’s beneficial to test the DNA of your close and close-ish family members. If there is a third-cousin (3C) or closer with no DNA match button, I’ll be asking if they have DNA tested and if not, if they would consider doing so.
I’m preparing verbiage to send to each match. I’ll customize each one with the name of the member and our common ancestor, and I’ll be asking each of them if they have already taken a DNA test at MyHeritage or elsewhere. Additionally, I’ll try to include some piece of information about that ancestor to pique their interest.
If they are a Y-DNA or mitochondrial DNA candidate for an ancestor whose Y-DNA or mitochondrial DNA I need, I’ll be asking if they have taken that test as well.
While working through Cousin Finder, I discovered so many benefits and useful tidbits that I didn’t expect that I’ve probably forgotten some. Maybe I haven’t discovered them all yet. Let me know if you discover another benefit or use as you work through your Cousin Finder matches.
Cost
According to MyHeritage, Cousin Finder itself is free, but some of the advanced features within Cousin Finder, such as viewing the full relationship path, confirming Smart Matches, extracting information to your tree, or contacting your relatives, do require a subscription.
If you have not yet taken the autosomal DNA test at MyHeritage, you can order one here. You can purchase a MyHeritage research subscription that gives you access to all of the Cousin Finder and other features, and comes with a free trial, here.
Have fun with Cousin Finder!!
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