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A singular term for a baby who was birthed by parents who were considerably older (like 45 to 70)?

Apparently I'm being pressed to give a "sample sentence" so here it is...

"My third son John is not as smart as my first one Paul...maybe it's because he was a [???] baby"

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    I doubt that such a word exists. My late father had an expression autumn crocus for a child of elderly parents, but I've never heard anyone else use it.
    – Kate Bunting
    Commented Apr 22, 2020 at 11:34
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    Google actually autocompletes a question "What is a late in life baby" and one of the results mentions "late-life baby", although (if the context is clear) "late baby" might also do.
    – Andrew Leach ♦
    Commented Apr 22, 2020 at 12:47
  • From the SWR tag: "This tag is for questions seeking a single word that fits a meaning. To ensure that your question is not closed as off-topic, please be specific about the intended use of the word. INCLUDE A SAMPLE SENTENCE demonstrating how the word would be use"
    – Cascabel_StandWithUkraine_
    Commented Apr 22, 2020 at 13:06
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    In some contexts oops baby can work. But while the parents are typically older when an oops baby is conceived the emphasis is on “unplanned” rather than “older parents”.
    – Jim
    Commented Apr 22, 2020 at 15:12
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    @RichardKayser Dad's explanation was simply that it was a child born in the autumn of its parents' lives.
    – Kate Bunting
    Commented Apr 23, 2020 at 8:16

2 Answers 2

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The Benjamin of the family is an idiom / biblical reference sometimes used in this sense. From Wikipedia:

The "Benjamin of the family" is a phrase used in several languages to refer to the youngest son – especially when he is much younger than his brothers. [...] Sometimes the name is chosen for a son born to mature parents unlikely to have more children, especially if he has several older siblings. Both of these usages derive from the biblical son of Jacob of that name, who occupied that position in his family.

I've never actually heard this idiom uttered aloud; it might be dated or rare. However, it's on point!

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Such a baby may be a menopause baby or a change of life baby. This expression technically refers to a baby born to a mother who is undergoing menopause, but may refer to a baby whose mother is of menopausal age. I am not aware of any term that refers to the father's age.

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  • I guess the male situation isn't unusual enough to need a name (although there are claims of health problems in children with older fathers reports just seem to refer to "older fathers" rather than a term for the children.)
    – Stuart F
    Commented Dec 10, 2023 at 14:53

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