Generation Names and Years: How are You

A Japan and Asia and portions of Europe will have their own generational definitions based on major cultural, political, and economic influences.

What is Generation Names & Years?

Neil Howe and William Strauss define generational cohorts in the U.S. from 1900 on as follows. 2000–: New Silent Generation or Generation Z. 1980 to 2000: Millennials or Generation Y. 1965 to 1979: Thirteeners or Generation X. 1946 to 1964: Baby Boomers.

Which Generation are You?

Generation Name	Births Start	Births End	Youngest Age Today*	Oldest Age Today*
The Lost Generation The Generation of 1914	1890	1915	105	130
The Interbellum Generation	1901	1913	107	119
The Greatest Generation	1910	1924	96	110
The Silent Generation	1925	1945	75	95
Baby Boomer Generation	1946	1964	56	74
Generation X (Baby Bust)	1965	1979	41	55
Xennials	1975	1985	35	45
Millennials Generation Y, Gen Next	1980	1994	26	40
iGen / Gen Z	1995	2012	8	25
Gen Alpha	2013	2025	1	7

(*age if still alive today)

Note: Dates are approximate and there is some overlap because there are no standard definitions for when a generation of Generation Names and Years begins and ends. See the section below about why this overlap.

iGen / Gen Z: Born between 1995 and 2012

As of 2017 most of these folks are still too young to have made an impact. However the older ones might be fighting our war in Afghanistan. The younger ones are hopefully still in school and planning on careers and jobs that will have strong demand and generate new opportunities.

Gen Y: “The Millennials” Born between 1980 and 1994

The Millennials grew up and began their careers in a time when:

• Almost every home (except 3rd world countries) had an internet connection and a computer
• 2008, the largest economic decline since the great depression
• 911 Terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon
• The effect of 20+ years of offshoring of American jobs is finally felt
• Enron – energy trading scams and corporate fraud on a national level
• Global warming becoming obvious with unusually severe storms, hotter weather, colder weather, more droughts etc
• President G. W. Bush, Rumsfeld and Dick Cheney deceived the entire nation about weapons of mass destruction of the nuclear and biological type and the subsequent invasion and occupation of Iraq
• The explosive growth in online companies such as Google, Facebook, SalesForce.com, LinkedIn, EBay, PayPal
• A revolution in the way we work, including widespread acceptance of flex-time, work from home, freelancing.

Gen X: Born between 1965 and 1979

According to WikiPedia, Gen X was originally called “Gen Bust” because their birth rate was vastly smaller than the preceding Baby Boomers.

Gen X’ers were the first generation to experience:

• The highest level of education in the US to date
• The 1976 Arab Oil Debacle and the first gas shortages in the US
• The price of gold soaring to $1000/oz for the first time
• The fall of the Berlin Wall and the splitting apart of the Soviet Union
• MTV and the rise of Disco
• China’s momentary flirtation with personal freedom and the tragedy of Tiananmen Square

Gen X: Born between 1965 and 1979

According to WikiPedia, Gen X was originally called “Gen Bust” because their birth rate was vastly smaller than the preceding Baby Boomers.

Gen X’ers were the first generation to experience:

• The highest level of education in the US to date
• The 1976 Arab Oil Debacle and the first gas shortages in the US
• The price of gold soaring to $1000/oz for the first time
• The fall of the Berlin Wall and the splitting apart of the Soviet Union
• MTV and the rise of Disco
• China’s momentary flirtation with personal freedom and the tragedy of Tiananmen Square

What Generation Are You If You Are On The Cusp?

If your birth date falls on the border between two generations, which one do you pick?

Pick the Generation Names and Years that you relate to the most, and the one you want to be part of.

Why so arbitrary? This is not a precise science with firm definitions.

Updates and Revisions

On 10-21-2017 we added info on iGen, and changed their start date from 1996 to 1995, and changed Millennials end date from 1995 to 1994. To be consistent with Jean Twenge PhD’s work. Also changed iGen end date from 2010 to 2012 for the same reason.

On 10-7-2017 we start to refer to Gen Z as “iGen” based on a book by Generation researcher Jean M. Twenge PhD.

On 8-11-2017 we added a section on Xennials.

On 9-29-2016 we made the following adjustments to the date ranges of Gen x, Millenials, Gen Z:

• Changed Gen X last births date from 1981 to 1979
• Changed Millennial start birth date from 1975 to 1980
• Changed Gen Z start birth date from 1995 to 1996
• Changed Gen Z last births date from 2015 to 2010

On 11-9-2016 we made these changes, based on further research:

• Changed Silent Generation start from 1923 to 1925 and end from 1944 to 1945 based on more research
• Changed the end of births for the greatest generation from 1925 to 1924 – for the convenience of having less overlap
• Changed Gen X start from 1961 to 1965 – and end back to 1979 – based on more research and to be consistent with Pew

Why make these changes? The cut off dates for each generation vary over time as the characteristics of that generation become more well understood. In the US, it appears demographers are trying to stick to ranges of 15 years (Japan uses 10 years). Finally, as the public pays more attention to generations, such as Millenials, certain dates become more accepted.

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