Ancestor Numbers
An Ancestor Number (the proper name is an Ahnentafel number) says exactly where a direct ancestor sits in your family tree. You are always number 1. Anyone's father has double their number, and their mother double plus one: so your father is 2 and your mother 3, your father's parents are 4 and 5, your mother's parents 6 and 7, and so on. That's why every man in your tree (apart from you) has an even number and every woman an odd one.
Entering the Ancestor Numbers of your direct ancestors on My Ancestors keeps your records accurate, helps your cousins work out how they're related to you, and tells apart two lines that happen to share a surname.
Print our Ancestor Chart Every box on the chart shows its number, five generations back from you.
Peter Calver, who founded LostCousins, explained Ancestor Numbers in his newsletter of 25 December 2023 (Why are your female ancestors odd?).
Find a number by stepping back from you
Choose father or mother, one generation at a time, until you reach the person you want.
- 1 You
- 3 Your mother
- 7 Your mother's mother
- 15 Your mother's mother's mother
- 30 Your mother's mother's mother's father
- 60 Your mother's mother's mother's father's father
- 121 Your mother's mother's mother's father's father's mother
- 243 Your mother's mother's mother's father's father's mother's mother
- 486 Your mother's mother's mother's father's father's mother's mother's father
- 973 Your mother's mother's mother's father's father's mother's mother's father's mother
- 1947 Your mother's mother's mother's father's father's mother's mother's father's mother's mother
- 3895 Your mother's mother's mother's father's father's mother's mother's father's mother's mother's mother
- 7791 Your mother's mother's mother's father's father's mother's mother's father's mother's mother's mother's mother
- 15583 Your mother's mother's mother's father's father's mother's mother's father's mother's mother's mother's mother's mother
- 31167 Your mother's mother's mother's father's father's mother's mother's father's mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's mother
- 62335 Your mother's mother's mother's father's father's mother's mother's father's mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's mother
- 124670 Your mother's mother's mother's father's father's mother's mother's father's mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's father
- 249340 Your mother's mother's mother's father's father's mother's mother's father's mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's father's father
- 498681 Your mother's mother's mother's father's father's mother's mother's father's mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's father's father's mother
- 997363 Your mother's mother's mother's father's father's mother's mother's father's mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's father's father's mother's mother
- 1994727 Your mother's mother's mother's father's father's mother's mother's father's mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's father's father's mother's mother's mother
- 3989454 Your mother's mother's mother's father's father's mother's mother's father's mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's father's father's mother's mother's mother's father
Your mother's mother's mother's father's father's mother's mother's father's mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's father's father's mother's mother's mother's father, a 19x great-grandfather, is number 3989454.