<P> The 1970 British Commonwealth Games were held in Edinburgh, Scotland . This was the first time the name British Commonwealth Games was adopted, the first time metric units rather than imperial units were used in events, the first time the games were held in Scotland and also the first time that HM Queen Elizabeth II attended in her capacity as Head of the Commonwealth . </P> <P> The 1974 British Commonwealth Games were held in Christchurch, New Zealand . The Games were officially named "the friendly games". Following the massacre of Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics, the tenth games at Christchurch was the first multi-sport event to place the safety of participants and spectators as its uppermost requirement . Security guards surrounded the athlete's village and there was an exceptionally high - profile police presence . Only 22 countries succeeded in winning medals from the total haul of 374 medals on offer, but first time winners included Western Samoa, Lesotho and Swaziland . </P> <P> The 1978 Commonwealth Games were held in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada . These games was the first to bear the current day name of the Commonwealth Games and also marked a new high as almost 1,500 athletes from 46 countries took part . They were boycotted by Nigeria, in protest of New Zealand's sporting contacts with apartheid - era South Africa, as well as by Uganda, in protest of alleged Canadian hostility towards the government of Idi Amin . </P> <P> The 1982 Commonwealth Games were held in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia . Forty - six nations participated in the Brisbane Games with a new record total of 1,583 athletes and 571 officials . As hosts, Australia headed the medal table leading the way ahead of England, Canada, Scotland and New Zealand respectively . Zimbabwe made its first appearance at the Games, having earlier competed as Southern Rhodesia and as part of Rhodesia and Nyasaland . </P>

When did the current name of commonwealth games start