You are probably related to Charlemagne, cousin

You are probably related to Charlemagne. John Cowan calculates the odds at nearly 100% that, assuming you have any European ancestors, not all of your great-grandfathers who lived at the time were not Charlemagne (meaning that at least one of them was).

(The probability isn't exactly 100%, obviously, but I'm going to round since typing "99." followed by ~15,000 more 9's would take too long and make this post unreadable. If you remember scientific notation from Jr. High or High School that's 1E-15000.)

A simillar calculation should be true about Saint Olaf (though the odds would be slightly less since Charlemagne lived several generations earlier than Olaf Haraldson).

I believe Becca probably has genealogy records showing at least one line from our parents back to Charlemagne. Maybe she could post them?

—Michael A. Cleverly
Thursday, June 16, 2005 at 20:07

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caroline:	[ mail \| www \| link ]

I'm related to Charlemagne. He's my 64th great grandfather on my mother's side. Back home in Germany we have the genealogy records. So I guess 100% is related to me!

Wed, 29 Jun 2005, 10:38

John Cowan:	[ mail \| www \| link ]

That only works if St. Olaf is known to have living descendants. Lots of famous people have no descendants, after all: George Washington, for example.

Wed, 06 Jul 2005, 11:29

Michael A. Cleverly:	[ mail \| www \| link ]

St. Olaf does have living descendants; me, for example .

Wed, 06 Jul 2005, 13:30

Dustin Coons:	[ mail \| www \| link ]

not sure if im related to charlemagne but if my last name has anything to do with him let me know please and thank you i have been wondering my whole life if iam related to him

Fri, 13 Nov 2009, 11:05

joyce:	[ mail \| www \| link ]

Once related to one royal, I find I am related to most all of them in Europe. Some lineages go as far as into BC. Is this really possible. Are what we read real. Also doing research found that all most all Presidents have a common Grandfather, Henry III. And that most of my favorite actor's and singer's are all my cousins. Family who came over on the Mayflower. It seems all you need do is to find the link. Are we truly all so related? Found that my husband is my 9th cousin, my daughter in laws are both descendants of a common Ancestor and it doesn't stop there. My parents were cousins, again 9th cousins. This is crazy. Would like to talk with someone in the know.

Wed, 27 Apr 2011, 20:00

G. C. Joseph Seiler:	[ mail \| www \| link ]

I would not get overly excited trying to desperately trace your lineage until you have found that special missing royal ancestor. Rather than getting fixated on the absurd notion that Carolus Magnus is your ancestor, accept the fact that you are the more likely the descendant of a chamber maid and a stable boy. Unless you can directly trace royalty through the last three generations (parents to grandparents), give up on trying to find that elusive missing link: it is surely imaginative fiction.

Fri, 14 Oct 2011, 10:32

Luke:	[ mail \| www \| link ]

I'm related to charlemagne but directcly. But I do have many famous cousins.

Fri, 16 Nov 2012, 17:53

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You are probably related to Charlemagne, cousin

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