Gen X, Gen Z, Gen Alpha? Your Ultimate Guide To Generation Name Chaos

People love naming things, even themselves! Every wave of kids, teens, adults, and even the eternally mysterious category known as “the olds” has been labeled over the years. From baby boomers to modern zoomers, we’ve turned generational names into a kind of educational experience: part history lesson, part social comment, and part Internet roast.

However, with so many widely used and unofficially added generation names floating around, it’s hard to know which one you fit into, let alone which to use for others. Nobody can fully agree on the exact years or what these names truly mean, but that’s never stopped us from debating them.

This generation guide is the ultimate cheat sheet for generation labels, their broadly accepted years, and the stories behind their specific names. It’s time to settle those social media debates and family arguments by finally figuring out which generation you belong to.

Keep scrolling to find your tribe, and maybe even bet on what the next generation will be called. Amid all the chaos of generation names, you might discover a new sense of belonging in your own unique era.

Members of the Greatest Generation collectively lived through two world wars, mass industrialization, the Great Depression, and the rise of several modern nations, so they certainly deserve their moniker. They have long been cast as the stoic, hard-working, and duty-bound generation that pulled humanity through catastrophe and gave us a better future.

The term “greatest generation” was popularized by author Tom Brokaw in his 1998 book of the same name. It has persisted because it’s a grand, flattering descriptor, and people all over the world maintain the highest levels of respect for them. They’re also known as the “WW2 generation” because of their immense sacrifices.

The Greatest Generation is currently the oldest of all the accepted named generations, except the Lost Generation, which came just before. That should make it one of the easiest to categorize, but many people still can’t remember precisely when the cut-off is (1900 or 1901? 1927 or 1929?).

But the “Greatest” label isn’t going anywhere, so the generation of war-kids, soldiers, and nation-rebuilders can wear it with pride.

The Silent Generation is often overlooked because they aren’t as vocal as the Greatest Generation that came before them, nor the Baby Boomers who followed. They grew up experiencing many of the same events as the Greatest Generation, including the Great Depression, World War II, and the early Cold War, so they certainly deserve recognition too.

They are a middle-ground generation, with their oldest members born at the end of the Roaring Twenties and the youngest at the end of World War II. Despite this, they have had rich life experiences and lived through some of the most tumultuous times in history.

That’s why many from the Silent Generation have become “bridge figures" ever-present during periods of change. The name "Silent" stems from how they were stereotyped as disciplined, compliant, and cautious.

They are one of the least rebellious generations, especially compared to boomers, but this isn’t a negative. They knew how to follow rules, build stable homes, and avoid scandal, which helped them navigate many storms in adulthood. Their quiet resilience is something to remember.

Baby boomers are undeniably one of the most well-known generations of all time. Even in 2025, this term remains prominent in both in-person and online conversations (sometimes literally!), and they have a wealth of lived experience to share. Born between 1946 and 1964, they were part of the baby boom generation that led to a significant rise in population following World War II. As a result, they helped shape the late 20th century.

Baby Boomers experienced some of the most pivotal events in history, including the Cold War, the civil rights movement, and the space race. They were the original rock ‘n’ roll kids, the hard workers who rarely missed a day of work, and today, they are often the target of criticism from younger generations. Many younger people accuse boomers of hoarding wealth, resisting change, and looking down on them.

The label has stuck for two main reasons: it accurately describes that generational group, and it’s now often used as an insult. “OK, Boomer” became a viral Internet meme in 2019 after several people used the phrase in response to an older man ranting about millennials on video, and it has continued to go viral on TikTok ever since.

Generation Jones is more of a micro-generation than a standalone generation, and the label is primarily used for those who don’t fully identify with the Baby Boomer generation. People born toward the latter end of the age range are more in tune with later transitions, so Generation Jones isn’t as stuck in traditional ways as early boomers.

The term was coined by cultural commentator Jonathan Pontell in 1999, and he categorized people born between 1955 and 1965 as a completely separate group. But why “Jones”? The term alludes to “Jonesing,” which means to wait or yearn for something perpetually, and it accurately describes this cusp group that came of age during a time of economic instability and social upheaval.

Generation Jones may have adopted modern technology earlier than boomers, but they aren’t as open to change as millennials, nor as cynical as Generation X. They’re a middle-ground generation that isn’t fully recognized but provides a sense of identity to younger boomers who don’t connect with the rest of that generation.

Xennials are a transitional generation that slightly overlaps two major groups: Gen X and millennials. Most people place their birth years roughly between 1977 and 1983, making them one of the smallest recognized generations. Sometimes called the “Oregon Trail generation” because of how their formative years coincided with the rise of the internet.

Those who identify with this group do so because they aren’t fully aligned with older generations but also find it difficult to connect completely with millennials and Gen Z. This overlooked generation entered adulthood during the rise of technology, seamlessly bridging the gap between analog nostalgia and digital fluency. Like earlier generations, they remember cassettes and dial-up phones but also adopted smartphones and social media.

Some argue that many people cannot be classified as Xennials based on their birth years, but this generation is very inclusive. It’s less about specific start and end dates and more about finding a sense of belonging during the period after Gen X and before millennials.

Millennials, also known as Gen Y, are the first digital natives and one of the most talked-about generations of all time. Like Xennials, they witnessed the birth of modern tech, but their relationship with technology was much stronger, allowing them to take on more innovative jobs in adulthood.

The millennial generation is also known for challenging the status quo, especially the social rules established by baby boomers.

Many believe that the defining characteristics of Baby Boomers—being work-driven, traditional, and self-assured—are no longer relevant, which has led to significant intergenerational conflict. Boomers also stereotype millennials as entitled, overeducated, and overly involved in social justice.

There are countless millennial memes, but the label has stuck over the years because the end dates of the generation align with the turn of the millennium.

However, this also sparks debate about who is and isn’t a millennial. Some early millennials identify more with the Xennial era, and there’s some crossover with the beginning of Generation Z. Setting those debates aside, it’s clear how influential the millennial generation has been.

They’ve long opposed the closed-off attitudes of many older generations, and their popularity has led to the disappearance of many once commonplace things. Subsequent generations aren’t too bothered by that.

Zillennials are a group we rarely discuss because it’s such a blurry, in-between micro-generation that eludes most online debates. Sometimes called Zennials, these individuals were born in the mid-1990s, with the most accepted dates being 1993-1998. They are very similar to millennials, but some feel too young to relate to those born in the ‘80s.

As a result, the internet coined this new term to describe people who grew up during the smartphone era but didn’t go as tech-obsessed as Gen Z because they also experienced more outdoorsy childhoods. Many zillennials see themselves as “too old for Gen Z, too young for millennials,” but they adopt traits from both. They are fluent in Vine and TikTok humor, allowing them to switch between sides whenever it suits them.

Generation Beta is proposed as the successor to Generation Alpha, but many people remain undecided on what it should officially be called. Some believe 2025 is a reasonable start date, while others think it should be later to give Gen Alpha a more distinct identity. Futurist Mark McCrindle, who coined the term, believes Gen Beta should extend until 2039.

“Beta” is an obvious follow-up to “Alpha,” but it invites several unflattering jokes, such as “beta version” and “beta male.” Many people online have joked that the introduction of Gen Beta makes them feel old, while others dislike the name.

It’s currently unclear whether the name will stick or what kind of world the next generation will grow up in. Will they face generational border wars, like millennials and Gen Z, or will they assert a strong identity, like Gen Alpha? One thing is for sure: this will be one of the most tumultuous generational eras yet.

The most widely accepted seven generations are: the Greatest Generation, the Silent Generation, Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennials, Generation Z, and Generation Alpha.