The Family Tree Overhaul pt.2

**Genealogy Naming Reference (for the Family Tree feedback thread)**

Posting this as a companion reference to the Family Tree suggestion thread, in case it helps others explain exactly which relationships still get lumped into "Distant Relative." These are the standard genealogy terms, side by side with what Sims 4 currently shows as of the February 2026 update.

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**Direct Line (Ancestors & Descendants)**

- 1 generation: Parent / Child — Sims 4: Parent / Child

- 2 generations: Grandparent / Grandchild — Sims 4: Grandparent / Grandchild

- 3 generations: Great-Grandparent / Great-Grandchild — Sims 4: Great-Grandparent / Great-Grandchild

- 4 generations: 2x Great-Grandparent / 2x Great-Grandchild — Sims 4: Distant Relative

- 5+ generations: 3x, 4x Great-Grandparent, etc. — Sims 4: Distant Relative

Each generation past great-grandparent just adds another "Great-."

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**Sibling Types**

- Full Sibling: shares both parents

- Half-Sibling: shares one parent

- Step-Sibling: no blood relation, tied through a parent's remarriage

- Adoptive Sibling: legally, not biologically, related

- Foster Sibling: raised together, no legal adoption

- Sibling-in-Law: spouse's sibling, or sibling's spouse

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**Niece/Nephew Line**

- Sibling's child: Niece / Nephew — Sims 4: Niece / Nephew

- Sibling's grandchild: Grandniece / Grandnephew — Sims 4: Grandniece / Grandnephew

- Sibling's great-grandchild: Great-Grandniece / Great-Grandnephew — Sims 4: Distant Relative

- Half-sibling's child: Half-Niece / Half-Nephew — Sims 4: Distant Relative

- Step-sibling's child: Step-Niece / Step-Nephew — Sims 4: not recognized

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**Aunts, Uncles, and Beyond**

- Parent's sibling: Aunt / Uncle — Sims 4: Aunt / Uncle

- Parent's half-sibling: Half-Aunt / Half-Uncle — Sims 4: Distant Relative

- Stepparent's sibling: Step-Aunt / Step-Uncle — Sims 4: not recognized

- Parent's sibling's spouse: Aunt-in-Law / Uncle-in-Law — Sims 4: not recognized

- Grandparent's sibling: Grand-Aunt / Grand-Uncle — Sims 4: Grand-Aunt / Grand-Uncle

- Great-grandparent's sibling: Great-Grand-Aunt / Great-Grand-Uncle — Sims 4: Distant Relative

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**Cousins: Degree & Removed**

Degree = how many generations back to the shared ancestor. Removed = the generational gap between you and your cousin.

- Share a grandparent → 1st Cousin (once/twice/etc. removed if generations don't match)

- Share a great-grandparent → 2nd Cousin (this is the exact case for great-grandkids of two siblings)

- Share a 2x great-grandparent → 3rd Cousin

- Share a 3x great-grandparent → 4th Cousin

- Share a 4x great-grandparent → 5th Cousin

Same generation, no gap = straight "Nth cousin." Different generations = add "removed" for each generation of gap.

Variants:

- Half-Cousin: child of a half-aunt/uncle

- Double Cousin: cousins on both sides at once (two siblings marry two siblings from another family)

- Cousin-in-Law: spouse's cousin

- Step-Cousin: tied through a step-aunt/uncle, no blood relation

**Sims 4 currently labels anything past 1st cousin as Distant Relative.**

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**In-Laws**

- Spouse's parent: Mother/Father-in-Law — Sims 4: Mother/Father-in-Law

- Spouse's sibling / sibling's spouse: Sister/Brother-in-Law — Sims 4: Sister/Brother-in-Law

- Child's spouse: Daughter/Son-in-Law — Sims 4: Daughter/Son-in-Law

- Spouse's grandparent: Grandmother/father-in-Law — Sims 4: Distant Relative-in-Law

- Spouse's aunt/uncle: Aunt/Uncle-in-Law — Sims 4: not recognized

- Spouse's cousin: Cousin-in-Law — Sims 4: not recognized

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**Step-Relations**

- Parent's new spouse: Stepmother / Stepfather — Sims 4: Stepmother / Stepfather

- Stepparent's other child: Stepsister / Stepbrother — Sims 4: Stepsister / Stepbrother

- Spouse's child (not yours): Stepdaughter / Stepson — Sims 4: Stepdaughter / Stepson

- Stepparent's sibling: Step-Aunt / Step-Uncle — Sims 4: not recognized

- Stepparent's parent: Step-Grandmother / Step-Grandfather — Sims 4: not recognized

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**Adoptive & Foster**

- Adoptive Mother/Father, Adoptive Son/Daughter, Adoptive Sibling

- Foster Parent, Foster Sibling

- Godparent / Godchild (chosen, not blood)

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**When "Distant Relative" Should Actually Apply**

Genealogy does use "distant relative" as a real catch all, just not this early:

- 5th cousin or further

- Shared ancestor is unknown or untraceable

- Multiple modifiers stacked together (half + step + in-law + removed)

- Beyond great-grand-aunt/uncle or 3rd cousin, several times removed

Second cousin, half-aunt, step-aunt, and aunt-in-law all have specific, well known names. That's the core of the ask: stop skipping straight to "Distant Relative" when a real term already exists.

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**Quick Legend**

- "Great-" → one more generation out on a direct or niece/nephew line

- "Grand-" → used once, right before "Great-" kicks in

- "Removed" → cousins from different generations

- Cousin number → how far back the shared ancestor is

- "In-law" → by marriage, not blood

- "Step-" → through a remarriage, not blood

- "Half-" → shares one parent (or grandparent) instead of two

- "Double" → related through both sides at once