If you are researching how Australian baby names changed across the 1970s, start with the official Popular Baby Names dataset on data.sa.gov.au. According to the dataset landing page, it provides a “List of male and female baby names in South Australia from 1944 to 2024.” The publisher/agency is the Attorney-General's Department, part of the Government of South Australia. That means the 1970s are inside the recorded data, but the coverage is South Australia, not every Australian state or territory, so the dataset shows South Australian registrations rather than a complete national count.
The 1970s are not published as a separate decade summary on the landing page. They sit inside the historical file “Most popular Baby Names (1944-2013)”, which the dataset describes as “Most Popular baby names in CSV format for each year.” This guide explains what the record contains,0s entries are stored, how to read movement across 1970–1979, and what to verify before drawing conclusions.
What the dataset records
The landing page identifies the dataset as Popular Baby Names. Its listed temporal coverage is 1 January 1944 to 31 December 2024, and its geospatial coverage is South Australia. The jurisdiction is the Government of South Australia, and the publisher/agency is the Attorney-General's Department. The dataset status is active, and the update frequency is annual. The landing page also states that annual data for baby names is published January/February each year.
A separate “Meta Data for Popular Baby Names” DOC is listed for high-level metadata information. The dataset’s own description and tags refer to baby names, births, female, male, names registered and registered names, which signals that the file is about names recorded through registration rather than, for example, names collected from a private survey.
| Item | What the official record shows |
|---|---|
| Dataset | Popular Baby Names (data.sa.gov.au) |
| Publisher/agency | Attorney-General's Department, Government of South Australia |
| Core description | List of male and female baby names in South Australia from 1944 to 2024 |
| Temporal coverage | 1 January 1944 – 31 December 2024 |
| Geographic coverage | South Australia |
| 1970s source file | “Most popular Baby Names (1944-2013)” CSV — Most Popular baby names in CSV format for each year |
| Later annual files | Separate files from 2014 onward; 2024 and 2025 files are described as top 100 male and female names |
| Update frequency | Annual; baby-name data published January/February each year |
| Licence | Creative Commons Attribution |
How the 1970s are published
The decade 1970 to 1979 falls within the 1944–2013 range, so the 1970s entries are in the historical CSV, not in the recent annual files. The landing page lists “Most popular Baby Names (1944-2013)” under Data and Resources and describes it as “Most Popular baby names in CSV format for each year.” In practice, that means the file should contain a yearly view of popular baby names across the whole 1944–2013 period, including each year of the 1970s.
The later files are different. From 2014 onward, the dataset publishes annual files. For example, the 2024 and 2025 files are named “Top 100 Baby Names” and are described as top 100 male and female names registered in South Australia during those years. The 2016 files include both original and “amended” CSVs. Because these later files start in 2014, they do not contain 1970s data. If you need the 1970s, use the historical 1944–2013 CSV.
How to review name-count movement across the 1970s
The dataset does not, in the supplied landing-page material, publish a ready-made “1970s trend” summary. The movement has to be read from the yearly entries. Use this checklist:
- Open the dataset landing page and go to Data and Resources.
- Download “Most popular Baby Names (1944-2013)” CSV.
- Open the file and identify the year column, the name column and the male/female split. The landing page does not name the exact column labels in the supplied extract, so check the file header or the Meta Data DOC.
- Filter or sort the data to years 1970 to 1979.
- Pick a name and compare its recorded popularity entry across the ten years. The historical CSV is described as most popular baby names for each year, so review what the file records for that name in 1970, 1971, and so on through 1979.
- Do the comparison separately for male and female names, because the dataset lists male and female baby names separately.
- Note whether the file records rank, count, or both. If the exact measure is unclear, verify it in the CSV header or the metadata document before quoting a “count” or “change.”
A practical interpretation: a name that appears in the 1970s entries with a stronger recorded popularity in the early 1970s and a weaker one by 1979 moved down across the decade in this South Australian record. The reverse pattern means it moved up. But that direction is only visible after you read the individual yearly entries; the landing page itself does not summarise those movements.
Limits and what to verify
- It is South Australia, not all of Australia. The title “Australian baby names” is broader than the verified geographic scope. The dataset’s geospatial coverage is South Australia. If you need a national picture, confirm whether other states and territories publish equivalent registration data.
- The supplied evidence does not include 1970s name rows. This guide is based on the dataset description, metadata and resource list. It does not list specific 1970s rankings, counts or winners, because those individual data points are not in the verified source extract. Download the CSV to see them.
- Registration year needs checking. The dataset refers to names “registered” in a year and is tagged “births.” Confirm in the metadata whether the year is the birth year, registration year, or another basis.
- File labels vary by year. Later files use different naming and description patterns, including “Top 100” files for 2024 and 2025, “Baby Names 2017” files, and a “2016 amended” file. Use the file that matches the period you are checking.
- Licence and reuse. The dataset is under a Creative Commons Attribution licence. The Government of South Australia website is also under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. Check the current licence text on the official pages before republishing extracts.
- Dates can change. The landing page shows a date published of 17 May 2013 and a date updated 2026, with annual updates. Always re-check the live landing page for the latest files and any revisions.
Next step
Go to the official landing page at https://data.sa.gov.au/data/dataset/popular-baby-names. In the Data and Resources section, open “Most popular Baby Names (1944-2013)” and download the CSV. Filter the year column to 1970–1979 and compare the recorded popularity entries for the names you are researching, keeping male and female lists separate. If you also want modern contrast, open the “Top 100 Baby Names 2024” or 2025 files. Before publishing any extract, read the Meta Data DOC for column meanings and confirm the Creative Commons Attribution requirements.
General information only: this article describes a public dataset and does not provide personalised legal, tax, migration, credit or financial advice. It does not promise approval, savings or returns, and it does not rank name providers or products. Australian Name is not a lender, broker, government body, regulator or comparison panel; it publishes independent explanatory guides. The official dataset described here is published by the Attorney-General's Department. Dataset contents, file names and licence terms can change, so verify the current details on the official source before relying on them.