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
- 31 Your mother's mother's mother's mother
- 63 Your mother's mother's mother's mother's mother
- 126 Your mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's father
- 252 Your mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's father's father
- 504 Your mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's father's father's father
- 1008 Your mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's father's father's father's father
- 2017 Your mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's father's father's father's father's mother
- 4035 Your mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's father's father's father's father's mother's mother
- 8071 Your mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's father's father's father's father's mother's mother's mother
- 16143 Your mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's father's father's father's father's mother's mother's mother's mother
- 32287 Your mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's father's father's father's father's mother's mother's mother's mother's mother
- 64575 Your mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's father's father's father's father's mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's mother
- 129151 Your mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's father's father's father's father's mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's mother
- 258302 Your mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's father's father's father's father's mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's father
- 516604 Your mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's father's father's father's father's mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's father's father
- 1033208 Your mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's father's father's father's father's mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's father's father's father
- 2066416 Your mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's father's father's father's father's mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's father's father's father's father
Your mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's father's father's father's father's mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's father's father's father's father, a 18x great-grandfather, is number 2066416.