Angling Merit Badge History

Earned through 195136,750

Best year19514,013 earned

All-time popularity#181official, as of 2020#186by 2025 (estimate)

Earned by Year

First earned in 1913. Peak year 1951 with 4,013. Hover over or tap a year for its numbers.

19110 earned

19120 earned

19131 earned#55 of 56

19143 earned#55 of 58

19158 earned#54 of 58

19160 earned

191715 earned#54 of 58

191814 earned#56 of 58

191964 earned#55 of 59

192031 earned#56 of 59

192161 earned#59 of 61

192271 earned#59 of 61

1923139 earned#59 of 63

1924195 earned#54 of 64

1925230 earned#55 of 64

1926549 earned#54 of 65

1927625 earned#56 of 68

1928704 earned#71 of 88

1929874 earned#68 of 89

1930743 earned#70 of 92

1931991 earned#73 of 96

1932805 earned#74 of 98

19331,080 earned#70 of 101

1934692 earned#77 of 101

1935880 earned#79 of 101

1936931 earned#70 of 101

1937935 earned#76 of 102

19381,249 earned#67 of 105

19391,195 earned#72 of 106

19401,338 earned#67 of 106

19411,225 earned#67 of 106

19421,768 earned#57 of 110

19431,402 earned#65 of 112

19441,849 earned#65 of 111

19451,974 earned#64 of 111

19461,651 earned#63 of 111

19471,616 earned#61 of 111

19482,148 earned#56 of 111

19492,365 earned#55 of 111

19502,918 earned#53 of 111

19514,013 earned#48 of 111

"#48 of 111" means the badge was number 48 of the 111 merit badges earned that year. 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.

19110none earned

19120none earned

19131#55 of 56

19143#55 of 58

19158#54 of 58

19160none earned

191715#54 of 58

191814#56 of 58

191964#55 of 59

192031#56 of 59

192161#59 of 61

192271#59 of 61

1923139#59 of 63

1924195#54 of 64

1925230#55 of 64

1926549#54 of 65

1927625#56 of 68

1928704#71 of 88

1929874#68 of 89

1930743#70 of 92

1931991#73 of 96

1932805#74 of 98

19331,080#70 of 101

1934692#77 of 101

1935880#79 of 101

1936931#70 of 101

1937935#76 of 102

19381,249#67 of 105

19391,195#72 of 106

19401,338#67 of 106

19411,225#67 of 106

19421,768#57 of 110

19431,402#65 of 112

19441,849#65 of 111

19451,974#64 of 111

19461,651#63 of 111

19471,616#61 of 111

19482,148#56 of 111

19492,365#55 of 111

19502,918#53 of 111

19514,013#48 of 111

Grand total through 1951:

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.

Angling: workbook data

Printings (29)

Have	Year	Month	Cover	Back	Run	BSA #	Notes
c	1920		1C			3319	HB 20th Edition reference
	1921	not made
c	1922		2			3319	15c Wireless
x	1923		2			3319	15c Radio
	1924	not made
c	1925		2	back-3		3319	20c Radio
c	1925		3A over 2	back-3		3319
	1925		3A	back-3		3319
x	1925		3A	back-3		3319	with pasted 1927 Requirements
	1926	not made
x	1927		3A	back-3		3319
x	1927		3A	back-3		3319	with pasted 1928 Requirements
c	1928		3A	back-3		3319
x	1929	August	3B	back-3		3319
x	1930	July	3B	back-3		3319
x	1931	June	3B	back-3		3319
	1932	not made
	1933	not made
c	1934	March	3B	back-3	1M	3319
x	1935	September	3B	back-3	1M	3319
	1936	not made
x	1937	February	3B	back-3	1M	3319
x	1938	April	3B	back-3	1M	3319
x	1939	August	3D	back-3	1M	3319
x	1940	December	3D	back-3	1M	3319
	1941	not made
c	1942	March	3B	back-3	1M	3319
x	1942	March	4	back-4	1M	3319
	1943	March	4	back-4	1M	3319
x	1944	March	5A	back-5a	3M	3319
x	1945	February	5B	blank	1M	3319
x	1945	October	5B	blank	2M	3319
x	1946	March	5B	blank	3M	3319
	1947	not made
x	1948	April	5B	blank	2M	3319
x	1949	May	5B	blank	2M	3319
x	1950	February	5B	blank	2M	3319

Earned and rank by year

Year	Earned	Rank	Of
1911	0
1912	0
1913	1	55	56
1914	3	55	58
1915	8	54	58
1916	0
1917	15	54	58
1918	14	56	58
1919	64	55	59
1920	31	56	59
1921	61	59	61
1922	71	59	61
1923	139	59	63
1924	195	54	64
1925	230	55	64
1926	549	54	65
1927	625	56	68
1928	704	71	88
1929	874	68	89
1930	743	70	92
1931	991	73	96
1932	805	74	98
1933	1,080	70	101
1934	692	77	101
1935	880	79	101
1936	931	70	101
1937	935	76	102
1938	1,249	67	105
1939	1,195	72	106
1940	1,338	67	106
1941	1,225	67	106
1942	1,768	57	110
1943	1,402	65	112
1944	1,849	65	111
1945	1,974	64	111
1946	1,651	63	111
1947	1,616	61	111
1948	2,148	56	111
1949	2,365	55	111
1950	2,918	53	111
1951	4,013	48	111