The generation before the Baby Boomers is commonly called the Silent Generation (also known as the Traditionalist or Builders generation), usually defined as people born roughly between 1928 and 1945.

Who comes before Baby Boomers?

  • Baby Boomers: Typically born 1946–1964.
  • Silent Generation: The cohort immediately before Boomers, born about 1928–1945.
  • They grew up during the Great Depression and World War II era, with childhoods shaped by economic hardship and global conflict.

Some historians also talk about an earlier “Greatest Generation” (born roughly 1901–1927) before the Silent Generation, but if you are asking “what is before Baby Boomers,” the standard answer is the Silent Generation.

Simple timeline example

  • Greatest Generation: born ~1901–1927.
  • Silent Generation: born ~1928–1945.
  • Baby Boomers: born ~1946–1964.

So, Silent Generation is the label that directly answers “what is before baby boomers.”

[7] [1][9]
Generation Approx. birth years Position relative to Boomers
Silent Generation 1928–1945Directly before Baby Boomers
Baby Boomers 1946–1964Follow the Silent Generation
**TL;DR:** The generation before Baby Boomers is the **Silent Generation** (born about 1928–1945).