Botany Merit Badge History

Earned through 200387,752

Best year19733,065 earned

All-time popularity#149official, as of 2020#157by 2025 (estimate)

Earned by Year

First earned in 1921. Peak year 1973 with 3,065. Hover over or tap a year for its numbers.

1921193 earned#51 of 61

1922558 earned#39 of 61

1923427 earned#46 of 63

1924358 earned#47 of 64

1925300 earned#53 of 64

1926944 earned#46 of 65

19271,030 earned#50 of 68

19282,203 earned#51 of 88

19291,071 earned#62 of 89

1930916 earned#66 of 92

19311,083 earned#70 of 96

19321,124 earned#66 of 98

19331,157 earned#66 of 101

1934894 earned#71 of 101

1935924 earned#77 of 101

1936968 earned#68 of 101

1937749 earned#80 of 102

1938982 earned#74 of 105

1939961 earned#76 of 106

1940802 earned#79 of 106

1941871 earned#77 of 106

1942611 earned#81 of 110

1943555 earned#88 of 112

1944675 earned#88 of 111

1945785 earned#86 of 111

1946644 earned#87 of 111

1947655 earned#82 of 111

1948598 earned#84 of 111

1949751 earned#81 of 111

1950842 earned#83 of 111

19511,024 earned#83 of 111

1952833 earned#93 of 120

1953623 earned#90 of 105

1954746 earned#90 of 103

1955940 earned#90 of 100

19561,016 earned#87 of 100

1957968 earned#90 of 100

1958957 earned#89 of 101

19591,002 earned#92 of 101

19601,326 earned#91 of 100

19611,532 earned#86 of 101

19621,537 earned#89 of 101

19631,585 earned#87 of 102

19641,618 earned#88 of 107

19651,648 earned#84 of 109

19661,539 earned#92 of 110

19671,677 earned#88 of 112

19681,731 earned#86 of 112

19691,763 earned#90 of 113

19701,702 earned#92 of 113

19711,683 earned#91 of 113

19722,619 earned#90 of 124

19733,065 earned#87 of 122

19742,889 earned#102 of 121

19752,361 earned#109 of 128

19762,799 earned#98 of 130

19772,448 earned#100 of 130

19781,690 earned#108 of 131

19791,456 earned#100 of 132

1980844 earned#100 of 132

19811,247 earned#101 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

1993959 earned#120 of 123

1994No data available

1995No data available

199677 earned#125 of 134

1997No data available

1998No data available

1999No data available

200039 earned#125 of 128

20015 earned#129 of 129

2002266 earned#121 of 129

200313 earned#127 of 130

Known count No data available

"—" means merit badges were earned that year but the exact number is not currently known. "#127 of 130" means the badge was number 127 of the 130 merit badges earned that year. 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.

1921193#51 of 61

1922558#39 of 61

1923427#46 of 63

1924358#47 of 64

1925300#53 of 64

1926944#46 of 65

19271,030#50 of 68

19282,203#51 of 88

19291,071#62 of 89

1930916#66 of 92

19311,083#70 of 96

19321,124#66 of 98

19331,157#66 of 101

1934894#71 of 101

1935924#77 of 101

1936968#68 of 101

1937749#80 of 102

1938982#74 of 105

1939961#76 of 106

1940802#79 of 106

1941871#77 of 106

1942611#81 of 110

1943555#88 of 112

1944675#88 of 111

1945785#86 of 111

1946644#87 of 111

1947655#82 of 111

1948598#84 of 111

1949751#81 of 111

1950842#83 of 111

19511,024#83 of 111

1952833#93 of 120

1953623#90 of 105

1954746#90 of 103

1955940#90 of 100

19561,016#87 of 100

1957968#90 of 100

1958957#89 of 101

19591,002#92 of 101

19601,326#91 of 100

19611,532#86 of 101

19621,537#89 of 101

19631,585#87 of 102

19641,618#88 of 107

19651,648#84 of 109

19661,539#92 of 110

19671,677#88 of 112

19681,731#86 of 112

19691,763#90 of 113

19701,702#92 of 113

19711,683#91 of 113

19722,619#90 of 124

19733,065#87 of 122

19742,889#102 of 121

19752,361#109 of 128

19762,799#98 of 130

19772,448#100 of 130

19781,690#108 of 131

19791,456#100 of 132

1980844#100 of 132

19811,247#101 of 134

1982—

1983—

1984—

1985—

1986—

1987—

1988—

1989—

1990—

1991—

1992—

1993959#120 of 123

1994—

1995—

199677#125 of 134

1997—

1998—

1999—

200039#125 of 128

20015#129 of 129

2002266#121 of 129

200313#127 of 130

Grand total through 2003:

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.

Botany: workbook data

Printings (68)

Have	Year	Month	Cover	Back	Run	©	BSA #	UPC	HC	Notes
x	1919		2							back-2-bibliography
c	1920		2
	1921	not made
	1922	not made
	1923	not made
	1924	not made
	1925		3A over 2	back-3
x	1925		3A	back-3			3379
x	1926		3A	back-3			3379
	1927		3A	back-3			3379
x	1927		3A	back-3			3379			with pasted 1929 requirments
	1928	not made
x	1929		3B	back-3			3379
x	1930	February	3B	back-3			3379
x	1930	July	3B	back-3			3379
x	1931	March	3B	back-3			3379
x	1932	March	3B	back-3	1M		3379
	1933	not made
x	1934	February	3B	back-3	1M		3379
x	1935	January	3B	back-3	1M		3379
x	1936	February	3B	back-3	1M		3379
x	1937	January	3C	back-3	2M		3379
x	1938	December	3C	back-3	1M		3379
	1939	not made
	1940	January	3B	back-3	1M		3379
x	1940	January	3C	back-3	1M		3379
x	1941	June	4	back-4	3M	1941	3379
	1942	not made
	1943	not made
x	1944	March	5A	back-5a	3M	1941	3379
x	1945	February	5B	blank	2M	1941	3379		HCD
x	1946	January	5B	blank	1M	1941	3379
x	1946	June	5B	blank	2M	1941	3379
	1947	not made
x	1948	May	5B	blank	2M	1941	3379
x	1949	December	5B	blank	2M	1941	3379
	1950	not made
x	1951	May	5B	back-6a	1M	1941	3379		HCH
	1951	July	5B	back-6a	1M	1941	3379
x	1951	September	5B	back-6a	2M	1941	3379		HCH
x	1952	July	6A	back-6b-1	2M	1941	3379
x	1953	March	6A	back-6b-1	5M	1941	3379
x	1954	March	6A	back-6b-2	3M	1941	3379
x	1955	February	6A	back-6b-2	3M	1941	3379
x	1956	January	6A	back-6b-2	4M	1941	3379
x	1956	December	6A	back-6b-2	4M	1941	3379
x	1957	September	6A	back-6b-2	4M	1941	3379		HCJV1
	1958	not made
x	1959	January	6A	back-6c-2	3M	1941	3379		HCJV1
x	1959	October	6A	back-6c-2	4M	1941	3379		HCJV2
x	1960	June	6A	back-6d	4M	1941	3379		HCJV2
x	1961	August	6A	back-6e	4M	1941	3379		HCJ, HCP
x	1962	September	6A	back-6f	4M	1941	3379
	1963	not made
x	1964	January	6B	back-6g	4M	1941	3379
x	1964	November	6B	back-6h	5M	1941	3379		HCK
x	1965	December	6B	back-6i	5M	1941	3379		HCP
x	1966	December	7	back-7	5M	1941	3379
	1967	not made
x	1968	February	7	back-7	5M	1941	3379
x	1969	January	7	back-7	6M	1941	3379
x	1970	March	7	back-7	5M	1941	3379		HCL, HCM
x	1971	May	7	back-7	4.5M	1941	3379
x	1972	May	7	back-7	4.5M	1941	3379		HCSV1
x	1973	August	8	back-8a	5M	1941	3379
x	1974	May	8	back-8b	6M	1941	3379
x	1975	June	8	back-8c-1	5M		3379
x	1976	July	8	back-8c-1	4.5M		3379
	1977	not made
x	1978	March	8	back-8d	3.5M		3379
	1979	not made
x	1980	May	9	back-9a	3M		3379
x	1981	May	9	back-9a	3M		3379
	1982	not made
x	1983	January	9	back-9a	2.5M	1983	3379
x	1984	March	9	back-9a	2.5M	1983	3379		HCU
x	1985	March	9	back-9b-2	2.5M	1983	3379
x	1986	January	9	back-9b-2	3M	1983	3379
x	1986	December	9	back-9b-2	3M	1983	3379
x	1987	December	9	back-9b-2	3M	1983	3379
	1988	not made
x	1989	February	9	back-9b-2	2.5M	1983	3379
x	1990	January	9	back-9b-2	3M	1983	3379
x	1991	December	9	back-9c-2	2M	1983	33379	730176333793
x	1992	October	9	back-9c-2	2M	1983	33379	730176333793
	1993	not made
x	1994	February	9	back-9d	2M	1983	33379	730176333793

Earned and rank by year

Year	Earned	Rank	Of
1921	193	51	61
1922	558	39	61
1923	427	46	63
1924	358	47	64
1925	300	53	64
1926	944	46	65
1927	1,030	50	68
1928	2,203	51	88
1929	1,071	62	89
1930	916	66	92
1931	1,083	70	96
1932	1,124	66	98
1933	1,157	66	101
1934	894	71	101
1935	924	77	101
1936	968	68	101
1937	749	80	102
1938	982	74	105
1939	961	76	106
1940	802	79	106
1941	871	77	106
1942	611	81	110
1943	555	88	112
1944	675	88	111
1945	785	86	111
1946	644	87	111
1947	655	82	111
1948	598	84	111
1949	751	81	111
1950	842	83	111
1951	1,024	83	111
1952	833	93	120
1953	623	90	105
1954	746	90	103
1955	940	90	100
1956	1,016	87	100
1957	968	90	100
1958	957	89	101
1959	1,002	92	101
1960	1,326	91	100
1961	1,532	86	101
1962	1,537	89	101
1963	1,585	87	102
1964	1,618	88	107
1965	1,648	84	109
1966	1,539	92	110
1967	1,677	88	112
1968	1,731	86	112
1969	1,763	90	113
1970	1,702	92	113
1971	1,683	91	113
1972	2,619	90	124
1973	3,065	87	122
1974	2,889	102	121
1975	2,361	109	128
1976	2,799	98	130
1977	2,448	100	130
1978	1,690	108	131
1979	1,456	100	132
1980	844	100	132
1981	1,247	101	134
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993	959	120	123
1994
1995
1996	77	125	134
1997
1998
1999
2000	39	125	128
2001	5	129	129
2002	266	121	129
2003	13	127	130