Microgeneration · 1977–1983
Xennials
Xennials are the cusp between Generation X and Millennials, born from the late 1970s to the early 1980s. Every source's range, side by side.
Xennials are people born on the cusp of Generation X and the Millennials, usually 1977 to 1983. Sarah Stankorb and Jed Oelbaum, who coined the word in GOOD in 2014, used 1979 to 1983; Dictionary.com says the late 1970s to the early 1980s.
The birth years, source by source
No authority settles these boundaries, so here is every range we could read on the source itself, with the age that range gives in 2026.
| Source | Birth years | Age in 2026 | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sarah Stankorb and Jed Oelbaum, GOOD (the article that coined the word) | 1979–1983 | 43–47 | 25 September 2014 |
| Wikipedia, summarising researchers and media | 1977–1983 | 43–49 | read 2 November 2026 |
| Doree Shafrir, Slate ("Generation Catalano") | January 1977 to January 1981 (Carter's inauguration to Reagan's) | 46–49 | 24 October 2011 |
| Dan Woodman, University of Melbourne, in The Conversation | Late 1970s to early 1980s | — | 12 July 2017 |
| Dictionary.com | Late 1970s to early 1980s | — | read 2 November 2026 |
What the sources claim
- An analogue childhood but a digital young adulthood. — Dan Woodman, The Conversation, 2017
- A bridge between Gen X disaffection and Millennial optimism. — Stankorb and Oelbaum, GOOD, 2014
- Shares some of Gen X's cynicism and suspicion of authority. — Doree Shafrir, Slate, 2011
Read this before quoting it
Dan Woodman, the sociologist most often quoted on Xennials, wrote in 2017 that there is not yet any strong academic evidence for the grouping. Treat it as a useful label, not a measured cohort.
Generational labels describe averages across many people. They are useful shorthand and useless for judging any one person.
Birth years covered by any source
Highlighted: 1977–1983, the range used here.
Frequently asked
What years are Xennials?
Most often 1977 to 1983. The coiners, Stankorb and Oelbaum, used 1979 to 1983; Doree Shafrir's earlier "Generation Catalano" ran from January 1977 to January 1981; Dictionary.com says the late 1970s to the early 1980s.
Are Xennials Gen X or Millennials?
On this site's boundaries, 1977–1980 is Generation X and 1981–1983 is Millennial. Xennial is a label for people near that line, not a replacement for it.
Who coined the word Xennial?
Sarah Stankorb and Jed Oelbaum, in a two-part GOOD article in September 2014. Dictionary.com says the word was possibly coined in that essay.