Keith Mack
Marrying one's cousin has always been permitted, and in some cultures, it is extremely common. However, the laws and cultural norms surrounding marriage between cousins and in-laws vary across different regions and cultures. In the context of a person's sister-in-law's brother, the relationship and cultural norms depend on whether the person is related to their sister-in-law's brother by blood or only through marriage. In-laws are people one is related to by marriage, and siblings-in-law are related by a type of kinship called affinity.
In some cultures, such as India, marrying one's sister-in-law's brother may not be accepted, while in other cultures, there may be no prohibition against such marriages. Ultimately, the cultural context plays a significant role in determining the appropriateness and legality of marrying one's brother-in-law's cousin.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Marriage between cousins | Permitted |
| Marriage between in-laws | Prohibited |
| Marriage between siblings-in-law | Permitted since 1983 |
| Marriage between cousins and their wife's/husband's siblings | Permitted |
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What You'll Learn
Marrying cousins is permitted
Marrying one's cousin has been and remains a common practice in many parts of the world. While some countries and cultures have prohibited cousin marriages, others have allowed them under certain conditions or more generally.
In England, cousin marriages, even between first cousins, have always been permitted. The Church of England drew up a list of forbidden marriages in 1560, which was printed in The Book of Common Prayer of 1662. This list did not include cousins. However, marriage between in-laws, who had no blood relationship, was not allowed. For example, until the law changed in 1907, a man was forbidden to marry his deceased wife's sister.
In the United States, the laws regarding cousin marriages vary by state. While some states prohibit marriages between first cousins or first cousins once removed, others allow them. Maryland, for instance, has sponsored a bill to ban first-cousin marriages, while Minnesota has introduced a bill to repeal such a ban. Six states prohibit marriages between first cousins once removed, and two states prohibit marriages between second cousins. New York is the only state that allows avunculate marriage (uncle/aunt-niece/nephew marriage).
In other parts of the world, the legality of cousin marriages has fluctuated over time. In ancient Rome, cousin marriage was legal until it was banned by Emperor Theodosius I in the West in 381 and in the East after the death of Justinian in 565. In China, cousin marriage was prohibited during the Ming dynasty (1368-1644), but the ban was not effectively enforced, and the practice was restored during the Qing dynasty (1644-1912). However, in 1981, the Chinese government enacted a legal ban on first-cousin marriage due to potential health concerns. Similarly, cousin marriage has been allowed throughout the Middle East for all recorded history, but some countries in the Balkans prohibit it.
The debate around cousin marriage often involves cultural, moral, and health considerations. Some supporters of cousin marriage view prohibitions as discrimination, while opponents may appeal to religious morality or the potential health risks of inbreeding. Anthropologist Martin Ottenheimer suggests that marriage prohibitions were introduced to maintain social order, uphold religious morality, and safeguard the creation of fit offspring.
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Marriage between in-laws prohibited if no blood relation
Marriage laws vary across the world, and they have changed over time. In the United States, cousin marriage laws vary from state to state. Six states (Kentucky, Nevada, Ohio, Tennessee, Utah, Washington, and Wisconsin) prohibit first-cousin-once-removed marriages. Kentucky and Nevada are the only two states that ban marriages between second cousins. However, cousin marriage was legal in all US states before the Civil War. In 2024, Tennessee banned first-cousin marriage.
In the past, some cultures and religions prohibited cousin marriage. For example, in ancient China, the Erya system, dating from around the third century BC, used different terms for the two types of cross-cousins. While it may not have been permissible at the time, marriage with the mother's sister's children became possible by the third century AD. Eventually, the mother's sister's children and cross-cousins shared one set of terms, with only the father's brother's children retaining a separate set. In Ethiopia, most of the population has historically been opposed to cousin marriage, considering up to third cousins the equivalent of siblings, with marriage ostensibly prohibited out to sixth cousins.
In some cases, cousin marriage has been practiced to maintain cultural values, preserve family wealth, maintain geographic proximity, keep tradition, strengthen family ties, and maintain a close relationship between the wife and her in-laws. For example, Confucius described marriage as "the union of two surnames". In ancient China, some evidence indicates that certain clans had a longstanding arrangement to marry only members of the other clan. Royal families have also historically married relatives to protect their bloodline or cement foreign alliances.
In terms of the genetic risks, scientists have found that first cousins share about 12.5% of their DNA. A recent study indicates that a child born to first cousins has a 4-7% chance of a birth defect, compared to 3-4% for other children. This equates to a 57% greater chance of a child with a birth defect, which has motivated some states to allow first cousin marriages only when the couple is incapable of having children.
Regarding the terminology, your brother-in-law is the husband of your sibling. Your in-laws are people you are related to by marriage. For example, your cousin's wife's brother is your brother-in-law if your cousin is your spouse, but not if your cousin is your sibling's spouse.
In England, the Church of England drew up a list of forbidden marriages in 1560, which remained unchanged until the 20th century. This list prohibited a man from marrying his sister-in-law (i.e., either his wife's sister or his brother's wife). However, the 1907 Marriage Act removed the wife's sister from the list, provided the first spouse had died. The 1921 Marriage Act removed the brother's wife from the list, provided the brother had died. Therefore, marriage between in-laws was prohibited if there was no blood relation, but these laws have since changed.
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The spouse's siblings are not related by law
Marriage laws have evolved over the years, with several acts in the first half of the 20th century bringing them more up-to-date. The 1907 Marriage Act, for instance, removed the prohibition on marrying a deceased wife's sister or a deceased husband's brother, provided the first spouse in each case had died.
In general, your in-laws are people you are related to by marriage. A sibling-in-law is the spouse of one's sibling or the sibling of one's spouse. More commonly, a sibling-in-law is referred to as a brother-in-law (for a male) or sister-in-law (for a female).
However, the spouses of two siblings are considered in-laws to each other, but the siblings of two spouses are not. For example, if you have a sister, her husband is your brother-in-law. Your wife is your sister's sister-in-law, and your sister's wife is your sister-in-law. Their spouses are sisters-in-law to each other because they inherit that relationship through marriage to you and your sister. However, your wife's brother is not related to your sister. There is no legal relationship linking them, and the word for that relationship is a "co-sibling-in-law."
In other words, the spouses' siblings are not related by law. This is because they are related by a type of kinship called affinity, like all in-law relationships, and are not related directly by blood.
In Islamic law (Sharia) and Jewish law (halakha), sexual relations between siblings-in-law are prohibited as incestuous, unless the spouse is no longer married.
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Sibling-in-law: spouse's sibling or sibling's spouse
In-laws are people you are related to by marriage. Your sibling-in-law is your spouse's sibling or your sibling's spouse. For example, your brother-in-law is your sister's husband or your spouse's brother. Similarly, your sister-in-law is your brother's wife or your spouse's sister.
In the past, marriage between siblings-in-law was prohibited. The Church, for instance, did not allow such marriages until 1983. In England, the list of forbidden marriages was drawn up by the Church of England in 1560 and remained unchanged until the 20th century. This list included brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law. However, several acts in the first half of the 20th century updated these rules. The 1921 Marriage Act, for instance, removed a brother's wife and a sister's husband from the list of prohibited marriages, provided that the relevant brother or sister had died.
Today, marriage between cousins, even first cousins, is permitted in many places. However, the cultural context varies, and some families or cultures may not accept such marriages. For example, in India, marriage between cousins is not accepted.
It is important to note that while marriage between cousins is legal in some places, there may be genetic risks associated with it.
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No blood relation with cousin's wife's brother
Marriage laws vary across the world, and it is always best to check the legislation in your country. However, in general, there are no laws prohibiting marriage between cousins. In the past, marrying one's cousin was even encouraged to keep wealth within families.
In terms of your specific question, there is no blood relation with your cousin's wife's brother. This is because your cousin's wife is your relation by marriage, and her brother is not related to you by blood. This is true even if your cousin's wife's brother marries your sibling, as there is still no blood relation.
In English, the term for the relationship between your cousin's wife and yourself is 'co-sibling'. This term refers to the reciprocal relationship between a person's spouse and their sibling's spouse. This is a type of kinship called affinity, which is the same for all in-law relationships.
In Indian English, the husband of one's cousin's wife is called a 'co-brother'. This is a cultural context where such a marriage might not be accepted. However, in general, there is no blood relation that would prohibit this marriage.
To summarise, there is no blood relation between you and your cousin's wife's brother, and any prohibitions on marriage would be cultural or personal rather than legal.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, you can marry your brother-in-law's cousin. Marriage between cousins has always been permitted.
You are not related to your brother-in-law's cousin unless you are already related to them through another relationship.
Yes, you can marry your cousin's wife's brother. You are not related by blood, and only in the case that your sibling's spouse has a brother would you be related by marriage.
