GENERATION NUMBERS & PERSON NUMBERS
GENERATION NUMBERS
My shorthand for my ancestors' generations is fairly simple:
"P" stands for "Parent" and
"G0" stands for "Grandparent".
From there, the shorthand goes by the number of "greats" before the "parent":
"G1 Grandparent" stands for "Great-grandparent".
"G2 Grandparent" stands for "Great-great-grandparent".
"G3 Grandparent" stands for "Great-great-great-grandparent"...and so on.
Just for fun, I've actually written out all the "-greats" on each person's webpage!
PERSON NUMBERS
The formula for figuring out a person' number in your family tree is fairly simple:
- You are Person 1. (You're also the child.)
- Your father is Person 2. (That is the child's Number X 2)
- Your mother is Person 3. (That is the child's Number X 2 + 1)
- Therefore, your father's father is Number 4 ("2" X 2)
and your father's mother is Number 5 ("2" X 2 + 1).
- Her father is 10 ("5" X 2) and her mother is 11 ("5" X 2 + 1).
- ...and so forth.
It only takes 19 generations beyond you before you are numbering in the millions and 29 generations before you are numbering
in the billions(!) Everything goes exponentially as the generations grow.
However, they will not all be different people! For example, I'm descended from
William Ivory twice...his daughter Sarah leads to my dad's side of the family
and his daughter Lois to my mom's side of the family. The further back you go, you'll find overlaps like this as well.
Anyway, for skittles and giggles, here is a chart of Person Numbers -- watch the exponential growth!:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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GEN.
|
FATHER'S SIDE
|
MOTHER'S SIDE
|
|
|
MEN
|
and
|
WOMEN
|
MEN
|
and
|
WOMEN
|
|
P
|
2
|
3
|
|
G0
|
4
|
to
|
5
|
6
|
to
|
7
|
|
G1
|
8
|
to
|
11
|
12
|
to
|
15
|
|
G2
|
16
|
to
|
23
|
24
|
to
|
31
|
|
G3
|
32
|
to
|
47
|
48
|
to
|
63
|
|
G4
|
64
|
to
|
95
|
96
|
to
|
127
|
|
G5
|
128
|
to
|
191
|
192
|
to
|
255
|
|
G6
|
256
|
to
|
383
|
384
|
to
|
511
|
|
G7
|
512
|
to
|
767
|
768
|
to
|
1,023
|
|
G8
|
1,024
|
to
|
1,535
|
1,536
|
to
|
2,047
|
|
G9
|
2,048
|
to
|
3,071
|
3,072
|
to
|
4,095
|
|
G10
|
4,096
|
to
|
6,143
|
6,144
|
to
|
8,191
|
|
G11
|
8,192
|
to
|
13,487
|
13,488
|
to
|
16,383
|
|
G12
|
16,384
|
to
|
26,975
|
26,976
|
to
|
32,767
|
|
G13
|
32,768
|
to
|
53,951
|
53,952
|
to
|
65,535
|
|
G14
|
65,536
|
to
|
107,903
|
107,904
|
to
|
131,071
|
|
G15
|
131,072
|
to
|
215,807
|
215,808
|
to
|
262,143
|
|
G16
|
262,244
|
to
|
431,615
|
431,616
|
to
|
524,287
|
|
G17
|
534,288
|
to
|
863,231
|
863,232
|
to
|
1,048,575
|
|
G18
|
1,048,576
|
to
|
1,726,463
|
1,726,464
|
to
|
2,097,151
|
|
G19
|
2,097,152
|
to
|
3,452,927
|
3,452,928
|
to
|
4,194,303
|
|
G20
|
4,194,304
|
to
|
6,905,855
|
6,905,856
|
to
|
8,388,607
|
|
G21
|
8,388,608
|
to
|
13,811,711
|
13,811,712
|
to
|
16,777,215
|
|
G22
|
16,777,216
|
to
|
27,623,423
|
27,623,424
|
to
|
33,554,431
|
|
G23
|
33,554,432
|
to
|
55,246,847
|
55,246,848
|
to
|
67,108,863
|
|
G24
|
67,108,864
|
to
|
110,493,695
|
110,493,696
|
to
|
134,217,727
|
|
G25
|
134,217,728
|
to
|
220,987,391
|
220,987,392
|
to
|
268,435,455
|
|
G26
|
268,435,456
|
to
|
441,974,783
|
441,974,784
|
to
|
536,870,911
|
|
G27
|
536,870,912
|
to
|
883,949,567
|
883,949,568
|
to
|
1,073,741,823
|
|
G28
|
1,073,741,824
|
to
|
1,767,899,135
|
1,767,899,136
|
to
|
2,147,483,647
|
|
G29
|
2,147,483,648
|
to
|
3,535,798,271
|
3,535,798,272
|
to
|
4,294,967,293
|
|
G30
|
4,294,967,293
|
to
|
7,071,596,543
|
7,071,596,544
|
to
|
8,589,394,587
|
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all the content on this page is copyrighted ©1992-2012 by Kristin C. Hall.
please drop me a line if you wish to use it or link to it. many thanks!