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
- 127 Your mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's mother
- 254 Your mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's father
- 509 Your mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's father's mother
- 1018 Your mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's father's mother's father
- 2036 Your mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's father's mother's father's father
- 4073 Your mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's father's mother's father's father's mother
- 8147 Your mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's father's mother's father's father's mother's mother
- 16294 Your mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's father's mother's father's father's mother's mother's father
- 32588 Your mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's father's mother's father's father's mother's mother's father's father
- 65176 Your mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's father's mother's father's father's mother's mother's father's father's father
- 130353 Your mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's father's mother's father's father's mother's mother's father's father's father's mother
- 260707 Your mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's father's mother's father's father's mother's mother's father's father's father's mother's mother
- 521415 Your mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's father's mother's father's father's mother's mother's father's father's father's mother's mother's mother
- 1042831 Your mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's father's mother's father's father's mother's mother's father's father's father's mother's mother's mother's mother
- 2085663 Your mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's father's mother's father's father's mother's mother's father's father's father's mother's mother's mother's mother's mother
- 4171326 Your mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's father's mother's father's father's mother's mother's father's father's father's mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's father
- 8342652 Your mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's father's mother's father's father's mother's mother's father's father's father's mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's father's father
- 16685305 Your mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's father's mother's father's father's mother's mother's father's father's father's mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's father's father's mother
- 33370611 Your mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's father's mother's father's father's mother's mother's father's father's father's mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's father's father's mother's mother
Your mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's father's mother's father's father's mother's mother's father's father's father's mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's father's father's mother's mother, a 22x great-grandmother, is number 33370611.