What is a fourth cousin?

A fourth cousin is a distant relative with whom you share a great-great-great-grandparent. This means that you and your fourth cousin share about 0.2% to 2% of your DNA. Fourth cousins are not closely related, and you might not even know them. However, they can be helpful in genealogy research and tracing family trees. As opposed to immediate family members, fourth cousins may not play a significant role in your day-to-day life, but they can be interesting to meet and connect with if you happen to cross paths.