What Generation Am I? Find Your Generation by Birth Year
Enter your birth year and this tool answers what generation am I, along with how old the oldest and youngest members are in 2026, and which generations sit on either side of yours. If you were born in 1990 you are a Millennial, in 2000 you are part of Generation Z, and in 1975 you belong to Generation X. People born right on a boundary year get a short note, because those are the years where sources disagree most.
Your generation
Millennials
Born 1981 to 1996. Ages 30 to 45 in 2026.
1990 is year 10 of 16 in this generation.
The question of what generation am I sounds simple, but the answer depends on whose definition you use. This page follows the Pew Research Center for the Silent Generation through Generation Z, since newsrooms and researchers in the United States quote those dates most often. For Generation Alpha it uses 2013, the year after Pew’s last Gen Z year, through 2024, and for Generation Beta it uses 2025 onward, following Mark McCrindle, the Australian researcher who named both groups.
How to Use the Generation Calculator
Type the four digit year you were born, or enter a full date of birth if you also want your exact age. The calculator answers what generation am I with your generation, its full span of birth years, and the share of that span already behind you. A second line shows the neighboring generations, which helps people born near a boundary see why they may relate to both.
You can enter any year from 1901 onward, so the tool also works for parents, grandparents and children. Families often run the what generation am I check for every member to see how many generations live under one roof. Four generations in one family, such as a Silent Generation great grandparent and a Generation Alpha child, is more common now that people live longer.
Every generation on one timeline
Spans follow the Pew Research Center through Generation Z, then McCrindle.
Generations by Years Chart
The chart lists every generation in order with its birth years, the age range it reaches in 2026, and the source of its name. Ages in the table assume the birthday has already passed this year. Use it as a quick answer to what generation am I when you only need a glance.
| Generation | Birth years | Age in 2026 | Where the name came from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greatest Generation | 1901 to 1927 | 99 and older | Tom Brokaw, 1998 book |
| Silent Generation | 1928 to 1945 | 81 to 98 | Time magazine essay, 1951 |
| Baby Boomers | 1946 to 1964 | 62 to 80 | Postwar baby boom |
| Generation X | 1965 to 1980 | 46 to 61 | Douglas Coupland, 1991 novel |
| Millennials | 1981 to 1996 | 30 to 45 | Neil Howe and William Strauss |
| Generation Z | 1997 to 2012 | 14 to 29 | Follows Generation Y |
| Generation Alpha | 2013 to 2024 | 2 to 13 | Mark McCrindle |
| Generation Beta | 2025 onward | 1 and younger | Mark McCrindle |
The spans are not equal, and that is deliberate. Boomers cover 19 years because the label ties to a measurable spike in births, while Millennials and Generation Z each cover 16 years. Generation boundaries are agreed conventions rather than hard facts, so a person born in 1980 or 1981 can reasonably claim either Generation X or Millennial.
Why Generation Dates Differ Between Sources
No government agency sets official generation dates, so the answer to what generation am I depends on which researchers, marketers or journalists drew the lines. The US Census Bureau defines the baby boom as births from mid 1946 through 1964, but it does not define the later groups. Other sources start Millennials as early as 1980 or end Generation Z as late as 2015, which is why search results often disagree.
Pew chose its lines around shared formative events, such as the September 11 attacks for Millennials and the arrival of the smartphone for Generation Z. A person who cannot remember a world before social media has a different starting point from one who grew up with dial up internet. Those shared reference points are what make a generation a useful label at all.
Where common sources draw the lines
Highlighted rows are the spans this site uses.
Cusp Years and Micro Generations
People born within a few years of a boundary often feel they belong to neither group. Popular labels have grown up for them, such as Xennials for those born roughly from 1977 to 1983 and Zillennials for those born around 1993 to 1998. These are informal terms without fixed dates, but they describe a real experience of growing up between two technologies.
If you were born on a cusp year, the what generation am I result shows your official generation first and then the nearby micro generation. A Xennial, for example, typically had an analog childhood and a digital early adulthood. That combination explains why many people born in 1980 relate to both Generation X and Millennial culture.
Cusp groups between generations
Xennials and Zillennials are informal labels without fixed dates.
What Each Generation Is Known For
The Silent Generation grew up during the Great Depression and World War II, and Baby Boomers came of age during postwar prosperity and the civil rights era. Generation X was the first group to grow up with personal computers at home and high divorce rates among their parents. Millennials entered adulthood around the 2008 financial crisis, which shaped their views on work and housing.
Generation Z is the first group raised with smartphones and social media from childhood. Generation Alpha, the children of mostly Millennial parents, has grown up with tablets, voice assistants and artificial intelligence tools. Each of these descriptions is a broad pattern, and plenty of individuals fit their generation poorly.
Grew up during the Great Depression and World War II.
Silent Generation yearsCame of age in postwar prosperity and the civil rights era.
Baby Boomer yearsGrowing up with tablets, voice assistants and AI tools.
Generation Alpha yearsFrequently Asked Questions
What generation am I if I was born in 2000?
If you were born in 2000, you belong to Generation Z, which covers births from 1997 to 2012. You turned 26 in 2026. People born in 2000 are sometimes called Zillennials because they sit close to the Millennial boundary.
What generation is 1998?
People born in 1998 are part of Generation Z under the Pew definition. They are among the oldest members of the group and reach 28 in 2026. Some consider them part of the Zillennial cusp.
What are the generation names in order?
From oldest to youngest, the generations are the Greatest Generation, the Silent Generation, Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennials, Generation Z, Generation Alpha and Generation Beta. The first group in that list was born from 1901 and the newest began in 2025. Each name has its own origin, from a magazine essay to a bestselling novel.
What comes after Gen Z?
Generation Alpha follows Generation Z, and its members were born from about 2013 to 2024. Babies born from 2025 onward are being called Generation Beta. Both names come from researcher Mark McCrindle.
Am I a Millennial or Gen X if I was born in 1980?
Under the Pew definition, 1980 is the final year of Generation X. Many sources and plenty of people born that year identify as Millennials instead. The informal label Xennial describes this cusp group well.