A descendant of FUJIWARA no Kanefusa (grand minister of state), the younger brother-uterine of Kanezane, he is sometimes included in the Kujo family but Kanefusa's family line failed at an early stage.
また、兼実の同母弟藤原兼房(太政大臣)の子孫も「九条家」に含める事もあるが、こちらは早い段階で断絶している。