Generations by Year: Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, Gen Z, Alpha, Beta

Generation labels are conventional groupings, not scientific boundaries. The table below uses Pew Research Center's published ranges for Silent Generation through Generation Z, and McCrindle Research's definitions for Generation Alpha and Generation Beta. Ages shown are based on 2026.

The generation framework at a glance

Note: These ranges combine Pew Research Center's 2019 generation framework with McCrindle Research's Alpha/Beta framework. Pew's 2019 Gen Z range was analysis-specific, and McCrindle starts Generation Alpha in 2010, so the 2010 to 2012 years overlap by source.

Where the boundaries come from

Pew Research Center's 2019 graphic used 1997 to 2012 for Generation Z in that analysis, while noting that no fixed chronological endpoint had been set. McCrindle Research, an Australian social-research firm, defines Generation Alpha as 2010 to 2024 and Generation Beta as 2025 to 2039. That means a child born from 2010 to 2012 can reasonably be described as Gen Z or Gen Alpha depending on which framework is being used.

In 2023, Pew Research Center said it would use generational analysis only when historical data allows meaningful comparisons at similar life stages, and would not default to standard generational labels when another age-cohort lens is more appropriate. The previously published ranges remain widely cited as a shared reference, which is how they are used here.

Why generation boundaries are approximate

A generation is a convention for grouping people who share formative cultural experiences, not a biological or statistical cutoff. Two children born a week apart, one in December of one generation and one in January of the next, will usually share the same immediate cultural context. The label carries analytical weight only at population scale and is most useful as a rough conversational reference rather than as a precise identity.

Popular baby names across generations

The Social Security Administration publishes the most popular baby names in the United States by year and by decade. A few high-level patterns hold across the published rankings:

• Baby Boomer years (1946 to 1964): Mary, Linda, and Patricia were repeatedly near the top for girls; James, Michael, and Robert were repeatedly near the top for boys.
• Generation X (1965 to 1980): Jennifer rose to the top for girls, and Michael held the top boys' spot throughout the period.
• Millennials (1981 to 1996): Jennifer led early in the period, Jessica and Ashley dominated later, and Michael held the top boys' spot throughout.
• Generation Z (1997 to 2012): Emily led girls' rankings for much of the early period, while Emma, Isabella, and Sophia became highly ranked later. Jacob dominated the boys' top spot, with Michael remaining highly ranked early in the period.
• Generation Alpha (2010 to 2024): Olivia, Emma, and Sophia have been among the most popular girls' names. Liam and Noah have led the boys' list, while Oliver rose into the top three by 2024. For the latest full-year SSA list, check the official SSA site.

Exact yearly rankings can shift from the generation-level summary above. The Social Security Administration's year-by-year and decade rankings are the definitive reference for US naming trends.

Bottom line

Generation labels are a convenient way to talk about shared cultural context, not a scientific category. The Pew Research ranges shown here are used for Silent Generation through Generation Z; McCrindle Research defines Alpha and Beta. Popular-name patterns by generation are best checked directly against the Social Security Administration's rankings, which are updated yearly.

FAQ

What generation is my baby?

A baby born from 2025 through 2039 is part of Generation Beta under McCrindle Research's definition. A child born between 2010 and 2024 is part of Generation Alpha under McCrindle's definition. Generation labels are approximate boundaries used by researchers and commentators, not strict scientific categories. The year a child is born places them in one named generation, but generational experiences are shaped by the culture and events they grow up inside, not by the label itself.

Where do the generation boundaries come from?

Pew Research Center published the boundaries used here for Silent Generation through Generation Z in its 2019 analysis. McCrindle Research, an Australian social-research firm, coined and defined Generation Alpha and Generation Beta. Different organizations use slightly different cutoffs, so a birth year near a boundary can be described as either of two adjacent generations depending on the source.

Why do generation dates vary by source?

Because generations are a convention for grouping cohorts with shared cultural experiences, not a scientific measurement. Pew Research said in 2023 that it would use generational analysis only when historical data allows meaningful comparisons at similar life stages, and would not default to standard generational labels when another age-cohort lens is more appropriate. Treat generation ranges as conversational reference points, not strict categories.

What were the popular baby names in each generation?

In the United States, the Social Security Administration publishes the most popular baby names by year and by decade. For Baby Boomers (1946 to 1964), James, Michael, and Robert were repeatedly near the top for boys and Mary, Linda, and Patricia for girls. For Millennials (1981 to 1996), Jennifer led girls early in the period and Jessica and Ashley dominated later, while Michael held the top boys' spot throughout. Name trends shift as each cohort has children, and Generation Alpha and Beta parents are drawing from a much broader name pool than past decades.

Is Generation Alpha or Generation Beta an official name?

Neither is government or academic in origin. McCrindle Research, an Australian social-research firm, defines Generation Alpha as 2010 to 2024 and Generation Beta as 2025 to 2039, using a Greek-letter naming convention. Both terms are conventions, not scientific classifications, and they are not defined by Pew Research or a national statistics agency.

How long is one generation?

The Pew ranges shown here cover about 16 to 19 birth years. Pew's 2023 note describes a typical generation as spanning roughly 15 to 18 years, depending on how the span is counted. Generation length is a convention for analysis, not a biological constant.