How many years is a generation?

Answer 1

Officially it is 25 years in a generation. 10 years in a decade.

Answer 2

We often reckon the passage of time by generations, but just how long is a generation?

As a matter of common knowledge, we know that a generation averages about 25 years—from the birth of a parent to the birth of a child—although it varies case by case. We also generally accept that the length of a generation was closer to 20 years in earlier times when humans mated younger and life expectancies were shorter.

In genealogy, the length of a generation is used principally as a check on the credibility of evidence—too long a span between parent and child, especially in a maternal line, has been reason to go back and take a more careful look at whether the evidence found reflects reality or whether a generation has been omitted or data for two different individuals has been attributed to the same person. For that purpose, the 20- and 25-year averages have worked quite acceptably; birth dates too far out of line with the average are properly suspect.

But now, researchers are finding that facts differ from what we’ve always assumed—generations may actually be longer than estimates previously indicated.

Several recent studies show that male-line generations, from father to son, are longer on average than female-line generations, from mother to daughter. They show, too, that both are longer than the 25-year interval that conventional wisdom has assigned a generation. The male generation is at least a third longer; the female generation is about one-sixth longer.

As early as 1973, archaeologist Kenneth Weiss questioned the accepted 20- and 25-year generational intervals, finding from an analysis of prehistoric burial sites that 27 years was a more appropriate interval but recognizing that his conclusion could have been affected if community members who died away from the village were buried elsewhere

Answer 3

I have researched my family history and over 1627 years and there has been 58 generations form the birth of the first recorded family member to the birth of the last family member making an average generation just over 28 years

Answer 4

The generally accepted period of time for a generation is 20 years.

Answer 5

Many UK asians came over after the war and/or independence in1945/7. Today many refer to themselves as third generation, so doing the maths:

2007 minus 1947 equals 60 yrs approx
60 years divided by 3 generations equals 20 years.

Hmm .. seems to fit with some of the other ideas here as well. Sounds about right then.

Answer 6

There is no set time, just the time it takes for things to change. But generally speaking, a generation is about 10 years

Answer 7

Usually 20 to 25 years. It's the time for a whole group of children to gow up. So that those of say 40 to 50 are separated from the next group of children who are 20 to 25 years younger.

Answer 8

I would say( given this generation having kids so young,)some as young as 12, the answer would be about 15 years.

Answer 9

It depends! It's the age difference between a person and their ascendants and so varies from person to person.

In my family it's roughly 30 years as most of my family seem to have had kids when they were 30. In other families it might be 20 years or 25 years. There's no one answer.

Answer 10

I'd say 15 years. When you leave school the little ones just starting nursery are the next generation, thats just an opinion though!