American Heritage Merit Badge History

Earned through 2020192,552

Best year197610,891 earned

All-time popularity#110official, as of 2020#112by 2025 (estimate)

Earned by Year

First earned in 1975. Peak year 1976 with 10,891. Hover over or tap a year for its numbers.

19752,015 earned#112 of 128

197610,891 earned#55 of 130

19775,326 earned#70 of 130

19783,588 earned#81 of 131

19792,602 earned#81 of 132

19801,661 earned#82 of 132

19812,652 earned#79 of 134

1982No data available

1983No data available

1984No data available

1985No data available

1986No data available

1987No data available

1988No data available

1989No data available

1990No data available

1991No data available

1992No data available

19934,371 earned#69 of 123

1994No data available

1995No data available

19963,126 earned#81 of 134

1997No data available

1998No data available

1999No data available

20003,825 earned#84 of 128

20015,164 earned#73 of 129

20024,666 earned#81 of 129

20034,908 earned#79 of 130

20044,753 earned#83 of 121

20054,890 earned#78 of 121

20064,273 earned#85 of 121

20074,274 earned#85 of 121

20084,390 earned#85 of 121

20095,625 earned#81 of 122

20105,853 earned#83 of 125

20116,645 earned#66 of 129

20126,626 earned#61 of 132

20136,195 earned#51 of 129

20145,333 earned#86 of 136

20155,599 earned#82 of 138

20164,952 earned#86 of 138

20175,496 earned#82 of 139

20185,530 earned#84 of 139

20195,454 earned#86 of 139

20206,700 earned#46 of 137

2021No data available#82 of 137

2022No data available#87 of 138

2023No data available#85 of 138

2024No data available#87 of 138

2025No data available#92 of 141

Known count No data available

"—" means merit badges were earned that year but the exact number is not currently known. "#92 of 141" means the badge was number 92 of the 141 merit badges earned that year. National counts have not been published since 2020, but the rankings have. The grand total comes from official reports and includes the years without a known count. The 2025 all-time place is an estimate, because the counts for 2021 to 2025 are worked out from each year's official ranking and the total number of merit badges earned that year.

19752,015#112 of 128

197610,891#55 of 130

19775,326#70 of 130

19783,588#81 of 131

19792,602#81 of 132

19801,661#82 of 132

19812,652#79 of 134

1982—

1983—

1984—

1985—

1986—

1987—

1988—

1989—

1990—

1991—

1992—

19934,371#69 of 123

1994—

1995—

19963,126#81 of 134

1997—

1998—

1999—

20003,825#84 of 128

20015,164#73 of 129

20024,666#81 of 129

20034,908#79 of 130

20044,753#83 of 121

20054,890#78 of 121

20064,273#85 of 121

20074,274#85 of 121

20084,390#85 of 121

20095,625#81 of 122

20105,853#83 of 125

20116,645#66 of 129

20126,626#61 of 132

20136,195#51 of 129

20145,333#86 of 136

20155,599#82 of 138

20164,952#86 of 138

20175,496#82 of 139

20185,530#84 of 139

20195,454#86 of 139

20206,700#46 of 137

2021—#82 of 137

2022—#87 of 138

2023—#85 of 138

2024—#87 of 138

2025—#92 of 141

Grand total through 2020:

This page keeps growing. More of this badge's history, including its patches and pamphlets, is being checked and will be added once it is confirmed.

American Heritage: workbook data

Printings (33)

Have	Year	Month	Cover	Back	Run	©	BSA #	UPC	Notes
x	1976	March	8	back-8c-1	30M	1976	3398
	1977	not made
	1978	not made
x	1979	November	9A-1	back-9a	4M	1976	3398
	1980	not made
x	1981	March	9A-1	back-9a	3.5M	1976	3398
	1982	not made
c	1983	April	9A-1	back-9a	3M	1976	3398
x	1984	February	9A-1	back-9a	3M	1976	3398
x	1984	November	9A-1	back-9b-1	4M	1976	3398
	1985	not made
x	1986	May	9A-1	back-9b-2	3M	1976	3398
x	1987	March	9A-1	back-9b-2	3M	1976	3398
x	1988	January	9A-1	back-9b-2	3M	1976	3398
x	1988	August	9A-1	back-9b-2	3M	1976	3398
x	1989	July	9A-1	back-9b-2	3.5M	1976	3398
	1990	not made
x	1991	February	9A-1	back-9c-1	3M	1976	3398
x	1992	March	9A-1	back-9c-2	3M	1976	33398	730176333984
x	1993	January	9A-1	back-9c-2	3M	1976	33398	730176333984
x	1994	September	9A-2	back-9d	3M	1976	33398	730176333984
x	1995	September	9A-2	back-9d	3M		33398	730176333984
x	1996	September	9A-2	back-9d	3M		33398	730176333984
	1997	not made
x	1998		9A-2	back-9f			33398	730176333984
x	1999		9A-2	back-9f			33398	730176333984
	2000	not made
x	2001		9A-2	back-9f			33398	730176333984
x	2002		9A-2	back-9f			33398	730176333984
x	2003		9A-2	back-9g			33398	730176333984
	2004	not made
x	2005		9B-1	back-9g			33398A	730176333984
x	2006		9B-1	back-9g			33398A	730176333984
x	2007		9B-2	back-9h-2			33398A	730176333984
x	2008		10A	back-1008b1			35852	730176358529
x	2009		10B	back-1009b1			35852	730176358529
x	2010		10C-1	back-1010b1			35852	730176358529
	2011	not made
x	2012		10C-1	back-1010b1			35852	730176358529
x	2013		10C-2	back-1013b1			35852	730176358529	01268-AL
	2014	not made
	2015	not made
x	2016		10D-1	back-1016b1			35852	730176358529	01042-AL
	2017	not made
	2018	not made
	2019	not made
x	2020		10D-2	back-1019b1			654548	730176351117	358
	2021	not made
	2022	not made
x	2023		10D-2	back-1019b1			654548	730176351117	358
	2024	not made
	2025	not made

Earned and rank by year

Year	Earned	Rank	Of
1975	2,015	112	128
1976	10,891	55	130
1977	5,326	70	130
1978	3,588	81	131
1979	2,602	81	132
1980	1,661	82	132
1981	2,652	79	134
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993	4,371	69	123
1994
1995
1996	3,126	81	134
1997
1998
1999
2000	3,825	84	128
2001	5,164	73	129
2002	4,666	81	129
2003	4,908	79	130
2004	4,753	83	121
2005	4,890	78	121
2006	4,273	85	121
2007	4,274	85	121
2008	4,390	85	121
2009	5,625	81	122
2010	5,853	83	125
2011	6,645	66	129
2012	6,626	61	132
2013	6,195	51	129
2014	5,333	86	136
2015	5,599	82	138
2016	4,952	86	138
2017	5,496	82	139
2018	5,530	84	139
2019	5,454	86	139
2020	6,700	46	137
2021		82	137
2022		87	138
2023		85	138
2024		87	138
2025		92	141