Cotton Farming Merit Badge History

Earned through 198113,853

Best year1974986 earned

All-time popularity#205official, as of 2020#207by 2025 (estimate)

Earned by Year

First earned in 1931. Peak year 1974 with 986. Hover over or tap a year for its numbers.

1931669 earned#82 of 96

193287 earned#97 of 98

193385 earned#101 of 101

193497 earned#100 of 101

1935279 earned#95 of 101

1936179 earned#97 of 101

1937464 earned#91 of 102

1938232 earned#102 of 105

1939171 earned#104 of 106

1940145 earned#105 of 106

1941152 earned#105 of 106

1942156 earned#107 of 110

1943202 earned#104 of 112

1944295 earned#106 of 111

1945273 earned#106 of 111

1946208 earned#106 of 111

1947186 earned#108 of 111

1948140 earned#110 of 111

1949205 earned#108 of 111

1950301 earned#104 of 111

1951372 earned#106 of 111

1952358 earned#115 of 120

1953261 earned#102 of 105

1954316 earned#100 of 103

1955428 earned#97 of 100

1956382 earned#100 of 100

1957324 earned#100 of 100

1958286 earned#101 of 101

1959377 earned#101 of 101

1960289 earned#100 of 100

1961263 earned#101 of 101

1962293 earned#101 of 101

1963257 earned#102 of 102

1964206 earned#105 of 107

1965223 earned#108 of 109

1966246 earned#110 of 110

1967240 earned#110 of 112

1968237 earned#112 of 112

1969292 earned#113 of 113

1970171 earned#113 of 113

1971188 earned#113 of 113

1972571 earned#121 of 124

1973623 earned#117 of 122

1974986 earned#121 of 121

1975447 earned#128 of 128

1976376 earned#129 of 130

1977155 earned#130 of 130

197881 earned#131 of 131

197944 earned#122 of 132

19800 earned

19812 earned#133 of 134

"#133 of 134" means the badge was number 133 of the 134 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.

1931669#82 of 96

193287#97 of 98

193385#101 of 101

193497#100 of 101

1935279#95 of 101

1936179#97 of 101

1937464#91 of 102

1938232#102 of 105

1939171#104 of 106

1940145#105 of 106

1941152#105 of 106

1942156#107 of 110

1943202#104 of 112

1944295#106 of 111

1945273#106 of 111

1946208#106 of 111

1947186#108 of 111

1948140#110 of 111

1949205#108 of 111

1950301#104 of 111

1951372#106 of 111

1952358#115 of 120

1953261#102 of 105

1954316#100 of 103

1955428#97 of 100

1956382#100 of 100

1957324#100 of 100

1958286#101 of 101

1959377#101 of 101

1960289#100 of 100

1961263#101 of 101

1962293#101 of 101

1963257#102 of 102

1964206#105 of 107

1965223#108 of 109

1966246#110 of 110

1967240#110 of 112

1968237#112 of 112

1969292#113 of 113

1970171#113 of 113

1971188#113 of 113

1972571#121 of 124

1973623#117 of 122

1974986#121 of 121

1975447#128 of 128

1976376#129 of 130

1977155#130 of 130

197881#131 of 131

197944#122 of 132

19800none earned

19812#133 of 134

Grand total through 1981:

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.

Cotton Farming: workbook data

Printings (27)

Have	Year	Month	Cover	Back	Run	©	BSA #	HC
x	1931	December	3B	back-3	1M		3365
x	1932	May	3B	back-3	1M		3365
	1933	not made
	1934	not made
	1935	not made
x	1936	October	3B	back-3	1M		3365
	1937	not made
	1938	not made
	1939	not made
x	1940	January	3B	back-3	1M		3365
c	1940	January	3D	back-3	1M		3365
	1941	not made
	1942	not made
c	1943	May	3D	back-3	1M		3365
	1944	not made
x	1945	September	3D	back-3	1M		3365
	1946	not made
	1947	not made
x	1948	February	5B	blank	1M		3365
	1949	not made
	1950	not made
c	1951	May	5B		1M		3365	HCH
	1952	not made
c	1953	January	6		1M		3365
x	1953	August	6	back-6b-1	1M	1953	3365
	1954	not made
x	1955	February	6	back-6b-2	1M	1953	3365
x	1956	June	6	back-6b-2	1M	1953	3365
x	1957	May	6	back-6b-2	1M	1953	3365	HCJV1
x	1958	March	6	back-6c-1	1M	1953	3365
	1959	not made
x	1960	March	6	back-6c-2	1M	1953	3365	HCJV2
x	1961	April	6	back-6e	1M	1953	3365	HCJV2, HCP
	1962	not made
x	1963	February	6	back-6f	1M	1953	3365	HCJV2
x	1964	February	6	back-6g	1M	1953	3365	HCP
x	1965	June	6	back-6h	1M	1953	3365	HCK
x	1966	October	7	back-7	1M		3365
	1967	not made
c	1968	April	7	back-7	1M		3365	HCL
x	1969	August	7	back-7	1M		3365
	1970	not made
x	1971	February	7	back-7	0.5M		3365	HCM
x	1971	December	7	back-7	0.8M		3365
x	1972	November	8	back-8a	1M		3365
x	1973	December	8	back-8a	2M		3365
	1974	not made

Earned and rank by year

Year	Earned	Rank	Of
1931	669	82	96
1932	87	97	98
1933	85	101	101
1934	97	100	101
1935	279	95	101
1936	179	97	101
1937	464	91	102
1938	232	102	105
1939	171	104	106
1940	145	105	106
1941	152	105	106
1942	156	107	110
1943	202	104	112
1944	295	106	111
1945	273	106	111
1946	208	106	111
1947	186	108	111
1948	140	110	111
1949	205	108	111
1950	301	104	111
1951	372	106	111
1952	358	115	120
1953	261	102	105
1954	316	100	103
1955	428	97	100
1956	382	100	100
1957	324	100	100
1958	286	101	101
1959	377	101	101
1960	289	100	100
1961	263	101	101
1962	293	101	101
1963	257	102	102
1964	206	105	107
1965	223	108	109
1966	246	110	110
1967	240	110	112
1968	237	112	112
1969	292	113	113
1970	171	113	113
1971	188	113	113
1972	571	121	124
1973	623	117	122
1974	986	121	121
1975	447	128	128
1976	376	129	130
1977	155	130	130
1978	81	131	131
1979	44	122	132
1980	0
1981	2	133	134