French Family Relationship Names Explained (English to French Guide)

A complete English-to-French guide to family relationship names, covering parents, siblings, grandparents, in-laws, cousins, step-family, and more with clear tables and examples.

French Family Relationship Names Explained (English to French Guide)

Understanding family relationship names in French is essential for genealogy research, conversations with French-speaking relatives, or building a bilingual family tree. French terms are precise and often distinguish between maternal and paternal sides, as well as gender. This guide provides a clear English-to-French reference for all major family relationships.

Immediate Family

English	French (Male)	French (Female)	Notes
Father	Père	—
Mother	—	Mère
Parents	Parents	Parents
Son	Fils	—
Daughter	—	Fille
Children	Enfants	Enfants
Brother	Frère	—
Sister	—	Sœur
Siblings	Frères et sœurs	Frères et sœurs
Husband	Mari / Époux	—
Wife	—	Femme / Épouse
Spouse	Conjoint	Conjointe	Neutral formal term

Grandparents and Great-Grandparents

English	French (Male)	French (Female)
Grandfather	Grand-père	—
Grandmother	—	Grand-mère
Grandparents	Grands-parents	Grands-parents
Great-grandfather	Arrière-grand-père	—
Great-grandmother	—	Arrière-grand-mère
Great-grandparents	Arrière-grands-parents	Arrière-grands-parents
Great-great-grandfather	Trisaïeul	—
Great-great-grandmother	—	Trisaïeule

Grandchildren and Further Descendants

English	French (Male)	French (Female)
Grandson	Petit-fils	—
Granddaughter	—	Petite-fille
Grandchildren	Petits-enfants	Petits-enfants
Great-grandson	Arrière-petit-fils	—
Great-granddaughter	—	Arrière-petite-fille

Uncles, Aunts, Nephews and Nieces

English	French (Male)	French (Female)	Notes
Uncle	Oncle	—
Aunt	—	Tante
Maternal uncle	Oncle maternel	—	Brother of one’s mother
Paternal uncle	Oncle paternel	—	Brother of one’s father
Maternal aunt	—	Tante maternelle
Paternal aunt	—	Tante paternelle
Nephew	Neveu	—
Niece	—	Nièce
Great-uncle	Grand-oncle	—
Great-aunt	—	Grande-tante

Cousins

French makes useful distinctions with cousins:

English	French	Notes
Cousin (male)	Cousin
Cousin (female)	Cousine
First cousin	Cousin germain / Cousine germaine	Child of your aunt or uncle
Second cousin	Cousin issu de germain
Distant cousin	Cousin éloigné / Cousine éloignée
Cousin once removed	Cousin au deuxième degré	Approximate everyday usage varies

In-Laws

English	French (Male)	French (Female)
Father-in-law	Beau-père	—
Mother-in-law	—	Belle-mère
Son-in-law	Gendre	—
Daughter-in-law	—	Belle-fille
Brother-in-law	Beau-frère	—
Sister-in-law	—	Belle-sœur
Parents-in-law	Beaux-parents	Beaux-parents

Note: Beau-père and belle-mère can also mean stepfather and stepmother. Context usually clarifies the meaning.

Step-Family and Half-Relations

English	French (Male)	French (Female)
Stepfather	Beau-père	—
Stepmother	—	Belle-mère
Stepson	Beau-fils	—
Stepdaughter	—	Belle-fille
Stepbrother	Demi-frère / Beau-frère	—
Stepsister	—	Demi-sœur / Belle-sœur
Half-brother	Demi-frère	—
Half-sister	—	Demi-sœur

Simple Family Tree Example with French Terms

Grand-père ────── Grand-mère
│
Père ────── Mère
│
┌───┴───┐
Fils    Fille

In a fuller tree you would add oncle, tante, cousin, cousine, neveu, nièce, and the corresponding beau- and demi- forms as needed.

Practical Tips for Using French Relationship Terms

French almost always marks gender. Use the correct masculine or feminine form.
When speaking about relatives on a specific side of the family, add maternel/maternelle or paternel/paternelle.
In formal or genealogical contexts, more precise terms (such as cousin germain) are preferred.
Everyday spoken French sometimes uses shorter or slightly different expressions, but the terms above are standard and widely understood.

Building a Bilingual Family Tree

Many families today include French-speaking and English-speaking members across different countries. Recording relationship names accurately in both languages helps everyone understand the tree clearly.

You can create a private, shareable family tree and note relationship terms in French or English at the My rOoOts create-tree page.

Helpful tools:

These make it easy to organise names, dates, and precise family connections.

Conclusion

French family relationship names are logical and gender-specific. From basic terms like père, mère, fils and fille to more precise expressions such as cousin germain, beau-père and arrière-grand-mère, the language offers clear ways to describe every common family link. Using the correct terms improves communication and supports accurate genealogy work.

Whether you are researching French ancestry, speaking with relatives, or building a bilingual family tree, this English-to-French guide provides a practical reference for all the main relationships.

Frequently Asked Questions About French Family Relationship Names

What is the French word for cousin?
The French word for a male cousin is cousin and for a female cousin is cousine. A first cousin is called cousin germain (male) or cousine germaine (female).

How do you say mother-in-law and father-in-law in French?
Mother-in-law is belle-mère and father-in-law is beau-père. Note that the same words can also mean stepmother and stepfather depending on the context.

What is the difference between “frère” and “demi-frère”?
Frère means brother (full brother). Demi-frère means half-brother (a brother with whom you share only one parent).

How do you say grandparents in French?
Grandparents are grands-parents. Grandfather is grand-père and grandmother is grand-mère.

What is the French term for great-grandfather?
Great-grandfather is arrière-grand-père and great-grandmother is arrière-grand-mère.

How do you say nephew and niece in French?
Nephew is neveu and niece is nièce.

What is the French word for siblings?
Siblings are referred to as frères et sœurs.

How do you distinguish maternal and paternal relatives in French?
Add maternel / maternelle for the mother’s side and paternel / paternelle for the father’s side.
Examples: oncle maternel (maternal uncle), tante paternelle (paternal aunt).

What does “beau-frère” mean in French?
Beau-frère means brother-in-law. It can also sometimes refer to a stepbrother, though demi-frère is clearer for a half-brother.

How do you say son-in-law and daughter-in-law in French?
Son-in-law is gendre and daughter-in-law is belle-fille.

What is the French word for grandchildren?
Grandchildren are petits-enfants. Grandson is petit-fils and granddaughter is petite-fille.

Is there a difference between “femme” and “épouse”?
Both can mean wife. Épouse is more formal or legal, while femme is very common in everyday speech. Similarly, mari and époux both mean husband.

How do you say step-parents in French?
Stepfather is beau-père and stepmother is belle-mère. Step-parents together are often called beaux-parents (the same term used for parents-in-law).

What is the French term for ancestors?
Ancestors are ancêtres. In genealogy contexts you will also see aïeux.

How can I use these French family terms in a family tree?
You can label each person with the correct French relationship term (for example, grand-père maternel or cousine germaine) when building a bilingual or French-language family tree. Tools such as My rOoOts allow you to record names and relationships clearly in any language.

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