Want a classic name for your child? Check out our round-up of the most popular baby names of the 1950s, when monikers like James, Thomas, Mary, and Patricia were common. Fact checked by De Elizabeth The 1950s were the launch pad into the second half of the 20th century. The post-World War II period saw the spark of the Civil Rights movement, the surge into the suburbs, and the birth of rock and roll.