Great-grands
Have you ever felt baffled about how to best show multi-generational relationships when writing about your grandparents’ direct ancestors?
Members of the family history writers group I attend opened my eyes to different styles they use to describe generations of ancestors.
One of my current challenges is describing generations in my family history project about my great-great-grandmother Alcena (photo above) and her ancestors. One of my research/writing questions became, “Are there elegant and easy-to-read approaches to get around generationally accurate but clunky or confusing constructions?”
Driven by curiosity, I wanted to learn more. So, I dipped into some writing style guides, visited digital genealogy websites, and searched for genealogy and family history publishers’ guidelines. I included below a handful of different styles I noticed.
| A Small Sample of “Great” Constructions | |
| Style | Pros, Cons, Comments |
| Style: Spell out all “greats” “My great-grandparents married in 1899.” “He was my great-great-great-grandfather.” “She was survived by 13 great-great-grandchildren.” | Pro: Good option when writing a narrative about a grandparents’ parents. Con: This option becomes exponentially unwieldy with each additional generation. Our eyes—and the eyes of our readers—may glaze over if we spell out more than three “greats.” Comment: This style is commonly used in general writing,[1] and in newspapers,[2] for example in obituaries. |
| Style: Abbreviate each “great” as “g” “He was my g-g-g-grandfather.” | Pro: Shorter than spelling out each “great.” Con: When used for more than two “greats,” you may frustrate—and possibly lose—readers who are counting each “g” under their breath or on their fingers. |
| Style: Combine numeral (figure)X “g” “He was my 3X-g-grandfather.” | Pros: Easier to read than using “great” or “g” for many generations. An option when space is limited, such as in a chart, endnote/footnote, or table. Con: Without an explanation, readers unaccustomed to family histories might have no clue what you hope to convey. They may skip the information, pause to figure it out, or stop reading. Comment: In narrative writing, “1X-great-grandparent” is redundant. Why not just write “great-grandparent”? |
| Style: Use numeral (figure) “g” “He was my 3-g-grandfather.” “I’ve seen this option written as: ‘He was my 3 G grandfather.’” | Pro: An option where space is a premium, such as in a chart, endnote/footnote, or table. Cons: The reader who is not familiar with this construction might think the “3 G grandfather” option contains a typo. (Which was my experience.) If a hyphen does not follow the “g” or “G,” readers may associate it with an abbreviation that has nothing to do with genealogy.[3] |
| Style: Spell out ordinal before “great” or “g” “He was my third-g-grandfather.” | Pro: Your readers may be more accustomed to this format if they have heard relationship terms such as “first cousin.” Con: Without a definition, some readers might misunderstand or be confused by this multi-generational shorthand. |
| Style: Add ordinal (figure), superscript or not, before “great” or “g” “He was my 3rd-great-grandfather.” “He was my 3rd-g-grandfather.” | Pro: Provides a concise notation. A good option where space is a premium, such as in a chart, endnote/footnote, or table. Con: Without an explanation, some readers might not know what this means. |
“Great” multi-generational style options also apply when combined with words describing relationships such as “grandchild,” “grandaunt,” “granduncle,” “grandniece,” and “grandnephew.”
After considering different options for writing about “great” ancestors, I find “great-great-grandmother Alcena” and “2nd-great-grandmother Alcena” the easiest to read. But I’ll check with a test group of my family members to see which is easiest for them to read.
You and I may choose different styles, and that’s fine because our writing projects will have different subjects and intended readers. However, I hope this small sample of possible styles will help you consider what you might use when writing about your family’s “greats.”
Bonus Resources
- “The ONLY GREAT GREAT GREAT GRANNY in the UK.”[4] (Thank you, Barb, for providing the YouTube link.)
- “Multi-Great Style or the Great-Great-Great Tongue Twister” about writing style standards regarding multi-great kinships.[5] (I wish I’d found the article before I tackled this subject!)
- “How Many Ancestors Do I Have?”[6] (Thank you, Renee for pointing me to the FamilySearch blog.)
- When writing about the “greats” in your family stories and histories, do you use a multi-generational style different from those listed above?
- Which “great” style do you prefer to read?
- Do you use a different “great” construction when writing narrative vs. when preparing charts, endnotes/footnotes, and tables?
[1] Chicago Manual of Style, 18th Edition, 7.96 “Hyphenation guide,” 3 “Compounds Formed with Specific Terms,” search for “grand, great-grand,” (University of Chicago Press, 2024), p 486.
[2] The Associated Press Stylebook and Briefing on Media Law, search for “great-,” (The Associated Press, 2013), p 120.
[3] The Free Dictionary by Farlex, search “G,” thefreedictionary.com (https://acronyms.thefreedictionary.com/G)
[4] “1980: The ONLY GREAT GREAT GREAT GRANNY in the UK | Record Breakers |BBC Archives,” YouTube, (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JcIneL26fZY), 4:32 minutes.
[5] Donna Cox Baker, “Multi-Great Style or the Great-Great-Great Tongue Twister,” Genohistory.com, 27 Aug 2016, (https://genohistory.com/2016/08/27/great-great-greats-question-style/).
[6] Kathryn Grant, “How Many Ancestors Do I Have?” FamilySearch Blog, 02 Dec 2022, FamilySearch.org (https://www.familysearch.org/en/blog/how-many-ancestors-do-i-have), first table.