The parents of third cousins are related, too. Your parent and your third cousins parent are second cousins. Third cousins share at least one great-great grandparent, and are descended from different offspring of those great-great grandparents.
What ancestor do you share with a 3rd cousin?
First cousins share a grandparent (2 generations) Second cousins share a great-grandparent (3 generations) Third cousins share a great-great-grandparent (4 generations)
Is it OK to date your 3rd cousin?
Is it okay to date your third cousin? Since third cousins share only a very small percentage of their DNA, there is no issue with third cousins dating from a genetic perspective. According to an article by The Spruce, marriage between second cousins and more distant cousins is legal throughout the United States.
Can you marry a 4th cousin?
Its legal in all 50 states to marry a cousin whos your second cousin or further. Third and fourth cousin marriages are the, quote, “best of both worlds.” Theyre breakfast food for dinner. You avoid the inbreeding risks of closer cousins, but your genes are just close enough that they naturally work well together.