# What are the "2000's" called? Was an "official" name chosen? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 8, 2009, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-2000s-called-was-an-official-name-chosen/492349 "2009-04-08T02:56:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2009, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-2000s-called-was-an-official-name-chosen/492349/1 "2009-04-08T02:56:29Z")
I’ve yet to hear one. I’ve seen “the Noughties” used, but that seems pretty horrible and I can’t believe it’s accurate. ---
**Author:** ![HorseloverFat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8e8cbc/32.png) [@HorseloverFat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HorseloverFat)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2009, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-2000s-called-was-an-official-name-chosen/492349/2 "2009-04-08T03:10:51Z")
Sometimes its referred to as the millennium. I just say early two-thousands. ---
**Author:** ![GreasyJack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/df705f/32.png) [@GreasyJack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreasyJack)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2009, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-2000s-called-was-an-official-name-chosen/492349/3 "2009-04-08T03:13:18Z")
I presume once we’re into the twenty-teen’s it’ll make more sense to call them the “two-thousands”. I call 'em the aughts, but that’s just to sound like an old coot. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2009, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-2000s-called-was-an-official-name-chosen/492349/4 "2009-04-08T03:13:33Z")
Just like 1901-1910 was “The Turn of the Century,” 2001-2010 is “the Millennium.” ---
**Author:** ![Caveat\_lector\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea5d25/32.png) [@Caveat\_lector\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caveat_lector_1)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2009, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-2000s-called-was-an-official-name-chosen/492349/5 "2009-04-08T03:42:14Z")
> [@Love\_Rhombus](#): > > I’ve yet to hear one. I’ve seen “the Noughties” used, but that seems pretty horrible and I can’t believe it’s accurate. I saw that in an article today and I actually winced. I’d use the ‘first decade of twenty-first century’ before I’d use ‘the Noughties’. It may be long winded, but at least its not ridiculous. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2009, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-2000s-called-was-an-official-name-chosen/492349/6 "2009-04-08T05:14:21Z")
Nonono. They’re the “double-oughts.” ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2009, 7:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-2000s-called-was-an-official-name-chosen/492349/7 "2009-04-08T07:21:53Z")
> [@foolsguinea](#): > > Nonono. They’re the “double-oughts.” Nonono. They’re the “uh-ohs.” ---
**Author:** ![gladtobeblazed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/85f322/32.png) [@gladtobeblazed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gladtobeblazed)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2009, 7:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-2000s-called-was-an-official-name-chosen/492349/8 "2009-04-08T07:43:59Z")
When did the practice of naming decades start anyways? Did people in the year 1754 call that decade “the 50’s”? ---
**Author:** ![Svejk\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea666f/32.png) [@Svejk\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Svejk_1)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2009, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-2000s-called-was-an-official-name-chosen/492349/9 "2009-04-08T07:53:33Z")
There must already be a ton of threads on this issue but I cannot be bothered to find them. What I do know is that earlier this year a Dutch radio station did the ‘00s’ version of a nineties or eighties week and they called it ‘zeroes request’, which I thought was well found. I guess I might stick to that. ---
**Author:** ![Jormungandr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@Jormungandr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jormungandr)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2009, 9:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-2000s-called-was-an-official-name-chosen/492349/10 "2009-04-08T09:34:39Z")
VH1 does flashbacks shows such as “I Love the 70’s.” When they did the first 7 years of this decade, they called it “I Love the New Millennium.” ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2009, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-2000s-called-was-an-official-name-chosen/492349/11 "2009-04-08T12:48:53Z")
The International Decade Nomenclature Council announced last Wednesday that the new decade will be called “Fred.” You can stop worrying now. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2009, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-2000s-called-was-an-official-name-chosen/492349/12 "2009-04-08T13:46:42Z")
> [@Thread title](#): > > Was an “official” name chosen? What does this even mean? There is no universally recognized office or official given authority over choosing casual terms for arbitrary blocks of time. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2009, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-2000s-called-was-an-official-name-chosen/492349/13 "2009-04-08T15:49:58Z")
> [@acsenray](#): > > What does this even mean? There is no universally recognized office or official given authority over choosing casual terms for arbitrary blocks of time. We’ll have to wait until the French decide. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2009, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-2000s-called-was-an-official-name-chosen/492349/14 "2009-04-08T16:03:57Z")
In that case, it’s going to be something like “the flowers” or “the gentle rolling hills” or “the pomegranates.” ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2009, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-2000s-called-was-an-official-name-chosen/492349/15 "2009-04-08T17:07:16Z")
It’s the decade when I didn’t get laid half as much as I wished. Oh, wait, the others were that too. We’ll have to find another name. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2009, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-2000s-called-was-an-official-name-chosen/492349/16 "2009-04-08T19:37:09Z")
The Master speaks: [What will the first decade of the 21st century be called? - The Straight Dope](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/511/what-will-the-first-decade-of-the-21st-century-be-called) ---
**Author:** ![Varrius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/e9a140/32.png) [@Varrius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Varrius)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2009, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-2000s-called-was-an-official-name-chosen/492349/17 "2009-04-09T02:06:07Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > The International Decade Nomenclature Council announced last Wednesday that the new decade will be called “Fred.” > > You can stop worrying now. \<— Just stopped worrying. I really like Fred. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2009, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-2000s-called-was-an-official-name-chosen/492349/18 "2009-04-09T02:58:08Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > The Master speaks: [What will the first decade of the 21st century be called? - The Straight Dope](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/511/what-will-the-first-decade-of-the-21st-century-be-called) And even He was no help at all, though he had a few decades to reflect. I wonder what he thinks today? ---
**Author:** ![BlakeTyner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@BlakeTyner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlakeTyner)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2009, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-2000s-called-was-an-official-name-chosen/492349/19 "2009-04-09T15:36:56Z")
> [@gladtobeblazed](#): > > When did the practice of naming decades start anyways? Did people in the year 1754 call that decade “the 50’s”? It goes back at least as far as William Faulkner. In “A Rose for Emily” he describes Miss Emily’s house (paraphrased) as “built in the style of the seventies” – meaning the 1870’s. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2009, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-2000s-called-was-an-official-name-chosen/492349/20 "2009-04-09T17:09:39Z")
I’m gonna have to go with “dickity”, as in “George Bush was President until twenty-dickity-eight.” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-2000s-called-was-an-official-name-chosen/492349.md?page=2)