From the Lost Generation and the Greatest Generation to Millennials, Gen Z, Alpha and Beta, generational labels have become part of everyday language but where did they come from, and how did each generation get its name?
Are you from Generation X, Z or Y? In recent years, the names of generations have become part of our everyday language and classifications we use to describe people and their differences.
From the Millennials to Gen Z, Alpha and Beta, these labels have become quite familiar. But the list of generations did not start here; it includes nine different generations.
So where did this classification begin? What about the generations that came before the Millennials? And why did each generation have a different name?
Historians and sociologists have long tried to understand the differences between generations. German sociologist Karl Mannheim is considered one of the most prominent figures to have laid the theoretical foundations for this in 1928, when he argued that people who grow up in the same historical period may be influenced by shared events and experiences that shape their view of the world and life.
Later, the idea developed in the United States into more specific classifications, although these divisions are not a fixed scientific rule, as their boundaries vary among researchers, particularly since a person’s year of birth alone cannot determine their personality.
It began with the Lost Generation (1883–1900), a name associated with a generation that came of age in the aftermath of World War I. The term became particularly well known through American literature, first through writer Gertrude Stein and then Ernest Hemingway.
It was followed by the Greatest Generation (1901–1927), which lived through the Great Depression and World War II and whose name became associated with the sacrifices its members made during that period.
Then came the Silent Generation (1928–1945). The term became well known after it was used by Time magazine in 1951. This generation was described as more inclined towards restraint and discipline, having grown up during the Depression and the war.
After World War II, the picture changed dramatically. Birth rates in the United States rose exceptionally, giving rise to the Baby Boomers (1946–1964), or the generation of the “baby boom”, making the name a direct description of what happened demographically. As this generation grew older, it became associated with television, music and major social and cultural transformations.
From this point on, the names began to seem more unusual. Generation X (1965–1980) was not given its name because it experienced a specific event, but because the letter X carried the meaning of the “unknown”, or a generation that was difficult to define. Writer Douglas Coupland helped establish the name worldwide through his 1991 book Generation X. This generation spent part of its childhood in the analog world, then entered young adulthood as the beginnings of the digital transition emerged.
As for Millennials (1981–1996), or Generation Y, their story is different. “Y” was an extension of the name X before the name Millennials became widespread, because members of this generation were entering adulthood at the beginning of the new millennium. This generation witnessed the transition from traditional phones to smartphones and social media, while events such as the 2008 global financial crisis had a clear impact on its economic and social trajectory.
Then came Generation Z (1997–2012), continuing the alphabetical sequence. While Millennials witnessed the birth of the digital world, many members of Gen Z grew up in it from the outset, with it becoming a natural part of everyday life.
When the Latin alphabet ended with Z, Generation Alpha (2010–2024) followed, drawing on the Greek alphabet. Researcher Mark McCrindle chose this name to signify the beginning of a new cycle, a generation born into a world where smart devices and digital connectivity had become part of childhood itself.
Since 2025, Generation Beta (2025–2039) has entered the vocabulary. This is a new classification that has not yet developed enough for its characteristics to be assessed. However, expectations suggest that artificial intelligence, automation and climate change will be among the main forces shaping its life. After Beta, if this system continues, come Gamma and then Delta.
And here lies the paradox: the further we move through time, the less the names of generations are connected to what happened and the more they are connected to the world in which we will grow up.
What began as an attempt to understand the impact of major transformations on people has gradually turned into placing people into ready-made categories, names and traits, to the point where an entire generation can be described before it is even born, with predictions about how it will think, live and behave. But can we really reduce millions of human experiences to a number or a letter?
Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter
