Perhaps no decade in US history conjures up more imagery of all-American idealism than the 1950s. A politically conservative era, the '50s introduced the world to some of the most enduring cultural touchstones of the USA: milkshakes, Elvis Presley, "I Love Lucy," and sock-hops. One might imagine classic American kids named Jimmy and Susie splitting a hot-fudge sundae at a local soda shop—and you'd actually be historically accurate. James and Susan were in fact two of the most popular names of the decade.
Stacker compiled a list of the most popular baby names for boys in the 50s in Arizona using data from the Social Security Administration. Names are ranked by number of babies born.
Keep reading to see if your name made the list.
Thammasak Lek // Shutterstock
1 / 30Gregory is a name of Latin origin meaning "watchful, alert".
Arizona
- Babies from 1950 to 1959: 895
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 113 (#546 most common name, -87.4% compared to the 50s)
National:
- Babies from 1950 to 1959: 178,453 (#26 most common name)
rSnapshotPhotos // Shutterstock
2 / 30Manuel is a name of Hebrew origin meaning "God with us".
Arizona
- Babies from 1950 to 1959: 920
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 689 (#128 (tie) most common name, -25.1% compared to the 50s)
National:
- Babies from 1950 to 1959: 15,966 (#166 most common name)
Alena Vostrikova // Shutterstock
3 / 30Jerry is a name of English origin meaning "exalted of the Lord".
Arizona
- Babies from 1950 to 1959: 966
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 67 (#719 (tie) most common name, -93.1% compared to the 50s)
National:
- Babies from 1950 to 1959: 136,566 (#31 most common name)
Flashon // Shutterstock
4 / 30Timothy is a name of Greek origin meaning "honouring God".
Arizona
- Babies from 1950 to 1959: 1,068
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 327 (#267 most common name, -69.4% compared to the 50s)
National:
- Babies from 1950 to 1959: 198,322 (#22 most common name)
Minnikova Mariia // Shutterstock
5 / 30Dennis is a name of Greek origin meaning "follower of Dionysius".
Arizona
- Babies from 1950 to 1959: 1,092
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 60 (#766 (tie) most common name, -94.5% compared to the 50s)
National:
- Babies from 1950 to 1959: 204,267 (#21 most common name)
DONOT6_STUDIO // Shutterstock
6 / 30Raymond is a name of German origin meaning "protector".
Arizona
- Babies from 1950 to 1959: 1,121
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 267 (#310 most common name, -76.2% compared to the 50s)
National:
- Babies from 1950 to 1959: 108,932 (#38 most common name)
Yulia Sribna // Shutterstock
7 / 30Stephen is a name of Greek origin meaning "wreath, crown".
Arizona
- Babies from 1950 to 1959: 1,196
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 198 (#381 most common name, -83.4% compared to the 50s)
National:
- Babies from 1950 to 1959: 207,276 (#20 most common name)
Tatiana Dyuvbanova // Shutterstock
8 / 30Joe is a name of Hebrew origin meaning "Jehovah increases".
Arizona
- Babies from 1950 to 1959: 1,239
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 83 (#650 most common name, -93.3% compared to the 50s)
National:
- Babies from 1950 to 1959: 62,481 (#57 most common name)
Vasiuk Iryna // Shutterstock
9 / 30Edward is a name of English origin meaning "prosperous".
Arizona
- Babies from 1950 to 1959: 1,288
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 366 (#239 most common name, -71.6% compared to the 50s)
National:
- Babies from 1950 to 1959: 188,328 (#23 most common name)
Oksana Kuzmina // Shutterstock
10 / 30Joseph is a name of Hebrew origin meaning "he will add".
Arizona
- Babies from 1950 to 1959: 1,317
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 1,871 (#30 most common name, +42.1% compared to the 50s)
National:
- Babies from 1950 to 1959: 300,006 (#13 most common name)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
11 / 30Kenneth is a name of Gaelic origin meaning "handsome".
Arizona
- Babies from 1950 to 1959: 1,389
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 250 (#317 most common name, -82.0% compared to the 50s)
National:
- Babies from 1950 to 1959: 262,822 (#16 most common name)
Tomsickova Tatyana // Shutterstock
12 / 30George is a name of Greek origin meaning "farmer".
Arizona
- Babies from 1950 to 1959: 1,414
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 440 (#202 most common name, -68.9% compared to the 50s)
National:
- Babies from 1950 to 1959: 181,029 (#25 most common name)
Roman Sorkin // Shutterstock
13 / 30Ronald is a name of English origin meaning "counsel rule".
Arizona
- Babies from 1950 to 1959: 1,455
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 102 (#588 most common name, -93.0% compared to the 50s)
National:
- Babies from 1950 to 1959: 271,146 (#15 most common name)
Anna Grigorjeva // Shutterstock
14 / 30Frank is a name of German origin meaning "free man".
Arizona
- Babies from 1950 to 1959: 1,458
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 167 (#430 (tie) most common name, -88.5% compared to the 50s)
National:
- Babies from 1950 to 1959: 112,321 (#34 most common name)
FamVeld // Shutterstock
15 / 30Donald is a name of Gaelic origin meaning "world ruler".
Arizona
- Babies from 1950 to 1959: 1,474
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 92 (#616 (tie) most common name, -93.8% compared to the 50s)
National:
- Babies from 1950 to 1959: 273,576 (#14 most common name)
BaLL LunLa // Shutterstock
16 / 30Paul is a name of Latin origin meaning "humble".
Arizona
- Babies from 1950 to 1959: 1,554
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 357 (#244 most common name, -77.0% compared to the 50s)
National:
- Babies from 1950 to 1959: 253,191 (#17 most common name)
marina shin // Shutterstock
17 / 30Larry is a name of Latin origin meaning "from the place of the laurel leaves".
Arizona
- Babies from 1950 to 1959: 1,615
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 58 (#779 most common name, -96.4% compared to the 50s)
National:
- Babies from 1950 to 1959: 245,690 (#18 most common name)
wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
18 / 30Gary is a name of English origin meaning "spearman".
Arizona
- Babies from 1950 to 1959: 1,854
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 29 (#998 (tie) most common name, -98.4% compared to the 50s)
National:
- Babies from 1950 to 1959: 329,935 (#12 most common name)
Iren_Geo // Shutterstock
19 / 30Daniel is a name of Hebrew origin meaning "God is my judge".
Arizona
- Babies from 1950 to 1959: 1,974
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 2,629 (#10 most common name, +33.2% compared to the 50s)
National:
- Babies from 1950 to 1959: 243,725 (#19 most common name)
Africa Studio // Shutterstock
20 / 30Charles is a name of Germanic origin meaning "free man".
Arizona
- Babies from 1950 to 1959: 1,984
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 912 (#93 most common name, -54.0% compared to the 50s)
National:
- Babies from 1950 to 1959: 361,178 (#10 most common name)
BaLL LunLa // Shutterstock
21 / 30Steven is a name of Greek origin meaning "crown".
Arizona
- Babies from 1950 to 1959: 2,119
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 354 (#245 most common name, -83.3% compared to the 50s)
National:
- Babies from 1950 to 1959: 333,657 (#11 most common name)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
22 / 30Thomas is a name of Greek origin meaning "twin".
Arizona
- Babies from 1950 to 1959: 2,166
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 1,107 (#79 most common name, -48.9% compared to the 50s)
National:
- Babies from 1950 to 1959: 454,385 (#8 most common name)
Lipatova Maryna // Shutterstock
23 / 30Mark is a name of Latin origin meaning "God of war".
Arizona
- Babies from 1950 to 1959: 2,264
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 287 (#289 most common name, -87.3% compared to the 50s)
National:
- Babies from 1950 to 1959: 382,585 (#9 most common name)
Capable97 // Shutterstock
24 / 30William is a name of Germanic origin meaning "vehement protector".
Arizona
- Babies from 1950 to 1959: 3,258
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 1,964 (#24 most common name, -39.7% compared to the 50s)
National:
- Babies from 1950 to 1959: 591,226 (#6 most common name)
Oksana Kuzmina // Shutterstock
25 / 30Richard is a name of German origin meaning "dominant ruler".
Arizona
- Babies from 1950 to 1959: 3,792
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 492 (#175 (tie) most common name, -87.0% compared to the 50s)
National:
- Babies from 1950 to 1959: 535,453 (#7 most common name)
Tomsickova Tatyana // Shutterstock
26 / 30James is a name of Hebrew origin meaning "supplanter".
Arizona
- Babies from 1950 to 1959: 4,104
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 2,285 (#13 most common name, -44.3% compared to the 50s)
National:
- Babies from 1950 to 1959: 843,776 (#1 most common name)
Mallmo // Shutterstock
27 / 30John is a name of Hebrew origin meaning "Yahweh has been gracious".
Arizona
- Babies from 1950 to 1959: 4,558
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 1,190 (#71 most common name, -73.9% compared to the 50s)
National:
- Babies from 1950 to 1959: 797,917 (#4 most common name)
yifanjrb // Shutterstock
28 / 30Michael is a name of Hebrew origin meaning "who is like God?".
Arizona
- Babies from 1950 to 1959: 4,959
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 2,372 (#12 most common name, -52.2% compared to the 50s)
National:
- Babies from 1950 to 1959: 837,466 (#2 most common name)
Tomsickova Tatyana // Shutterstock
29 / 30David is a name of Hebrew origin meaning "beloved".
Arizona
- Babies from 1950 to 1959: 5,357
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 2,045 (#17 most common name, -61.8% compared to the 50s)
National:
- Babies from 1950 to 1959: 769,951 (#5 most common name)
Vasilyev Alexandr // Shutterstock
30 / 30Robert is a name of Germanic origin meaning "fame" or "bright".
Arizona
- Babies from 1950 to 1959: 5,370
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 919 (#90 most common name, -82.9% compared to the 50s)
National:
- Babies from 1950 to 1959: 830,391 (#3 most common name)
