What is ‘cousin face’? The familiarity phenomenon explained

Have you ever found yourself staring at a person you've never met before because they look so familiar? It can truly gnaw at the back of your mind for hours, if not days, trying to place a familiar face you see, whether in a crowd or a more intimate setting.

If this sounds like your experience, you may have experienced the cousin face phenomenon. The term is gaining traction online as the perfect way to describe someone whose face you swear you've seen before.

Cousin face origins on TikTok

It all began on TikTok when TikToker @eviefsb explained that a friend introduced her to someone who looked familiar, asking the acquaintance if they knew each other.

@eviefsb i mean we’re technically all cousins #cousin #newfriends #fypage ♬ original sound - evie barenberg

"She goes, 'Oh that's just because I have cousin face,'" @eviefsb shares in her video. "I was like, 'What the f*ck is cousin face?' And she goes, 'Everyone's always like, 'you look like my cousin. you look like my cousin's cousin.' I look like everyone's cousin."

At that point, the OP pointed out, "We look very similar," only to learn that she, too, appears to have it.

What is cousin face?

The video concludes there, but "cousin face" certainly did not, as many people seemed to identify with having a universally familiar look about them.

As the subject went viral, it was even discussed on the June 26 episode of The Kidd Kraddick Morning Show. One of the show's personalities, Ana Szabo, explained the viral TikTok trend in her own words:

"It's basically when you see someone and you're like, 'I think I know them from something,' or like 'Maybe they're a friend of a friend or we've met before,' but you're not entirely sure," she said. "Somebody who looks...I don't want to say bland, but like someone you've met before."

The rise of 'cousin face' on social media

People are getting in on the discussion online, sharing examples of "cousin face" with the masses and sometimes wondering if they fit the bill themselves.

@__jorden__

for example Tom Holland

♬ original sound - jordEn

@abibabash It’s just so strange #fypツ #foryoupage #abibabash #cousinface #familiarface #lookalike ♬ original sound - Abiba Bash????????

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