‘Removed’ indicates that the two people being compared are a different number of generations away from their common ancestor.

The other part of the phrase — ‘first cousin,’ ‘second cousin,’ ‘third cousin,’ etc. — describes the relationship of two people who are/were in the same generation.

There is no ‘removed’ used for people with the same grandparents.
They are simply first cousins.

Similarly, two people whose first common ancestors are the same great-grandparents are second cousins.

Your first cousin once removed is either:
— the child of your first cousin
— or the child of your grand-aunt/uncle

Why are they ‘removed’?
Because they are in a different generation than you, when compared to the most recent ancestor that you have in common!

Americans tend to call the children of their first cousins their own “second cousins.”
That is incorrect.

Remember:
Use the rule about counting the number of generations to the common ancestor to see if there are any “removeds” to add to the cousin title.

In this case, the children of your first cousins are your “first cousins once removed.”

So, in plain English – Your children and your first cousin’s children would be second cousins.

For example, if you were descended from a brother or sister of Cipual Vines or Lewis Keeling, then you would be a great, great,……,great nephew or neice of Cipual or Lewis. If you descended from a first cousin of Cipual or Lewis, you would be Cipual’s or Lewis’ first cousin, many, many times removed.

This is pretty confusing past a few generations and is probably why people just called themselves cousins. Or more appropriately, as Al Runnels in Hooks, Texas says – “Kinfolk.”