Methodology

How we define generation years.

Generation names are useful search and cultural shorthand, but they are not exact scientific identities. This page explains the ranges used on whatismygeneration.com and links the sources behind the editorial choices.

Last reviewed: May 4, 2026.

Generation range table

The site keeps ranges continuous so every birth year from 1883 to 2039 maps to one answer page.

Generation names and birth year ranges
Generation	Birth years	Quick answer
Lost Generation	1883-1900	The Lost Generation covers people born from 1883 to 1900, a cohort shaped by the First World War, early modern culture, and rapid industrial change.
Greatest Generation	1901-1927	The Greatest Generation usually means people born from 1901 to 1927, remembered for living through the Great Depression and World War II.
Silent Generation	1928-1945	The Silent Generation covers people born from 1928 to 1945, between the Greatest Generation and Baby Boomers.
Baby Boomers	1946-1964	Baby Boomers are people born from 1946 to 1964, during the post-World War II baby boom.
Generation X	1965-1980	Generation X, or Gen X, covers people born from 1965 to 1980, between Baby Boomers and Millennials.
Millennials	1981-1996	Millennials, also called Generation Y, are people born from 1981 to 1996.
Generation Z	1997-2012	Generation Z, or Gen Z, covers people born from 1997 to 2012, after Millennials and before Generation Alpha.
Generation Alpha	2013-2024	Generation Alpha covers people born from 2013 to 2024, the cohort after Generation Z.
Generation Beta	2025-2039	Generation Beta is the emerging label for people born from 2025 to 2039, after Generation Alpha.

Editorial rules

How cutoff years are handled

For commonly used modern cohorts, this site follows Pew-style cutoffs where practical: Silent Generation 1928-1945, Baby Boomers 1946-1964, Generation X 1965-1980, Millennials 1981-1996, and Generation Z beginning in 1997.

For older and future cohorts, the ranges are editorially normalized so the lookup works continuously. The Lost Generation and Greatest Generation are split before the Silent Generation. Generation Alpha and Generation Beta are treated as newer or projected labels, so their boundaries may change as sources converge.

When a user is born near a cutoff year, the page gives the range used here and avoids implying that the label is a legal, medical, or scientific identity.

Long-tail answers

Birth-year answer pages

Every supported year has a direct answer page for queries like "what generation is 1990?" and "what generation am I if I was born in 2001?"

1946 1965 1980 1981 1990 1996 1997 2000 2012 2013 2025