The Greatest Generation – born 1901-1927
The Silent Generation – born 1928-1945
The Baby Boomer Generation – born 1946-1964
Generation X – born 1965-1980
Millennials – born 1981-1996
Generation Z – born 1996-2012
Gen Alpha – born 2013 – 2025
The Greatest Generation – born 1901-1927
These folks were indelibly impacted by the Great Depression, which moulded their children in regards to frugality. This group was also representative of the majority of soldiers in World War II. If still with us, these folks are between the ages of 99 and 122.
The Silent Generation – born 1928-1945
Those born between these years are actually the smallest group, due to consequences from the Great Depression and World War II. Between the size of the population and the hesitancy to speak out against social issues due to the McCarthy era of government, they earned their name. In 2022, people in this group are between 78 and 98.
The Baby Boomer Generation – born 1946-1964
Baby boomers, along with Millennials, are one of the most misunderstood and mislabeled groups of the entire list. The baby boomers are actually one of the most relevant groups in modern society as they were integral and present for many of the technology advances in the last 50 years. They have been more adaptable to modern growth and learning how to function in today’s technological age. Boomers are currently between the ages of 59 and 77.
Generation X – born 1965-1980
As with Baby Boomers, Gen X’ers are the most relevant generation of modern times, in relation to technology, and serve almost as a bridge from older populations to younger ones. They were present for the inception of the internet, video games, artificial intelligence and is the generation that has created many of these advances. This groups of folks is currently between the ages of 43 and 57.
Millennials – born 1981-1996
As mentioned, alongside of Gen X’ers, Millennials are greatly misunderstood and often mislabeled. Older people can tend to blame someone younger for being a “Millennial” when they don’t understand the values of older times and hold the same views as they did when they were young. It’s quite common to hear someone use the term Millennial to refer to people in their 20s, although true Millennials are between the ages of 29 and 43.
Generation Z – born 1996-2012
This group of younger people is an interesting one. They have been exposed to social media, and were the first population to cope with cyber-bullying and other internet related issues, It was also during this time that school related violence and climate crisis have become more prevalent. This large group of people are between the ages of 11 and 28.
Gen Alpha – born 2013 – 2025
These are the youngest people in the Unites States and are the first group to be born in the 21st century. They are the first generation to be born to parents who grew up with the internet, cell phones, tablets and social media. They are also inclined to be the most racially diverse and the most technologically adept. The oldest people in this group would be 10 years old this year.
*Please keep in mind the years listed are approximations. Generations are generally 20-25 year periods, but the beginning and end years can be fluid, depending on research and ever-developing definitions.