A godfather is also used in a non-religious sense for the secular part of the role. I have several god-children whose parents are my dear friends in different countries. Well, heaven forbid if anything were to happen to them, it is unerstood I will rush in to adopt the child (who is already my friend) and serve as their parent to make sure they are taken care of. I have that understanding with their parents, who are my friends. One other thing about step-relatives. we can hardly see the words in english without remembering so many Grimm's fairy tales: the evil step-mother! As adults we can see in the story the human truth of a situation in which one parent is lost or sperated, and when the remaining parent remarries, it could certainly be that the two might be jealous or unkind to the other. Especially in old days in which birthright and inheritance meant so much.

1. A step-grandfather is probably your step-father's father but he might be your father's step-father. English words for relatives are often ambiguous. 2. Traditionally, a godfather is someone chosen by the parents to help teach a child Christianity. These days it's not always religious, and a godparent might just help raise the child. A step-grandfather doesn't necessarily have any relation to a step-godparent.

A step-grandfather would be a grandfather related by marriage only. If your mother divorced your natural father, and re-married, that man would be your step-father. His father, in turn, would be your step-grandfather. In practice, the word step- is used with mother, father, brother and sister, but very seldom with grandfather or grandmother. It is a technically correct term, however.