Fingerprinting Merit Badge History

Earned through 20201,891,477

Best year201153,189 earned

All-time popularity#23official, as of 2020#23by 2025 (estimate)

Earned by Year

First earned in 1938. Peak year 2011 with 53,189. Hover over or tap a year for its numbers.

1938436 earned#93 of 105

19391,384 earned#66 of 106

19401,177 earned#71 of 106

1941860 earned#78 of 106

1942864 earned#76 of 110

19431,051 earned#75 of 112

19441,480 earned#72 of 111

19451,405 earned#72 of 111

19461,369 earned#69 of 111

19471,387 earned#67 of 111

19481,575 earned#63 of 111

19491,522 earned#64 of 111

19502,359 earned#57 of 111

19514,133 earned#47 of 111

19523,926 earned#54 of 120

19533,985 earned#48 of 105

19545,903 earned#41 of 103

19557,028 earned#40 of 100

19567,638 earned#39 of 100

19578,011 earned#37 of 100

19588,280 earned#36 of 101

19599,939 earned#35 of 101

196011,253 earned#36 of 100

196112,342 earned#37 of 101

196211,986 earned#38 of 101

196311,660 earned#39 of 102

196413,052 earned#37 of 107

196511,323 earned#38 of 109

196611,166 earned#37 of 110

196712,052 earned#38 of 112

196811,658 earned#39 of 112

196912,694 earned#37 of 113

197013,649 earned#34 of 113

197112,858 earned#36 of 113

197212,586 earned#40 of 124

197313,421 earned#39 of 122

197427,789 earned#31 of 121

197528,824 earned#29 of 128

197626,226 earned#30 of 130

197721,574 earned#32 of 130

197819,820 earned#30 of 131

197916,272 earned#30 of 132

198011,497 earned#30 of 132

198116,239 earned#30 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

199328,016 earned#25 of 123

1994No data available

1995No data available

199636,014 earned#22 of 134

1997No data available

1998No data available

1999No data available

200043,003 earned#19 of 128

200145,954 earned#17 of 129

200250,485 earned#17 of 129

200347,691 earned#18 of 130

200449,449 earned#17 of 121

200541,565 earned#18 of 121

200642,348 earned#19 of 121

200739,482 earned#19 of 121

200841,065 earned#18 of 121

200946,808 earned#16 of 122

201046,395 earned#15 of 125

201153,189 earned#12 of 129

201246,594 earned#15 of 132

201345,140 earned#7 of 129

201443,820 earned#15 of 136

201543,743 earned#14 of 138

201640,700 earned#15 of 138

201738,989 earned#14 of 139

201838,239 earned#14 of 139

201936,510 earned#14 of 139

202018,898 earned#14 of 137

2021No data available#12 of 137

2022No data available#12 of 138

2023No data available#12 of 138

2024No data available#15 of 138

2025No data available#15 of 141

Known count No data available

"—" means merit badges were earned that year but the exact number is not currently known. "#15 of 141" means the badge was number 15 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.

1938436#93 of 105

19391,384#66 of 106

19401,177#71 of 106

1941860#78 of 106

1942864#76 of 110

19431,051#75 of 112

19441,480#72 of 111

19451,405#72 of 111

19461,369#69 of 111

19471,387#67 of 111

19481,575#63 of 111

19491,522#64 of 111

19502,359#57 of 111

19514,133#47 of 111

19523,926#54 of 120

19533,985#48 of 105

19545,903#41 of 103

19557,028#40 of 100

19567,638#39 of 100

19578,011#37 of 100

19588,280#36 of 101

19599,939#35 of 101

196011,253#36 of 100

196112,342#37 of 101

196211,986#38 of 101

196311,660#39 of 102

196413,052#37 of 107

196511,323#38 of 109

196611,166#37 of 110

196712,052#38 of 112

196811,658#39 of 112

196912,694#37 of 113

197013,649#34 of 113

197112,858#36 of 113

197212,586#40 of 124

197313,421#39 of 122

197427,789#31 of 121

197528,824#29 of 128

197626,226#30 of 130

197721,574#32 of 130

197819,820#30 of 131

197916,272#30 of 132

198011,497#30 of 132

198116,239#30 of 134

1982—

1983—

1984—

1985—

1986—

1987—

1988—

1989—

1990—

1991—

1992—

199328,016#25 of 123

1994—

1995—

199636,014#22 of 134

1997—

1998—

1999—

200043,003#19 of 128

200145,954#17 of 129

200250,485#17 of 129

200347,691#18 of 130

200449,449#17 of 121

200541,565#18 of 121

200642,348#19 of 121

200739,482#19 of 121

200841,065#18 of 121

200946,808#16 of 122

201046,395#15 of 125

201153,189#12 of 129

201246,594#15 of 132

201345,140#7 of 129

201443,820#15 of 136

201543,743#14 of 138

201640,700#15 of 138

201738,989#14 of 139

201838,239#14 of 139

201936,510#14 of 139

202018,898#14 of 137

2021—#12 of 137

2022—#12 of 138

2023—#12 of 138

2024—#15 of 138

2025—#15 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.

Fingerprinting: workbook data

Printings (78)

Have	Year	Month	Cover	Back	Run	©	BSA #	UPC	SKU	SA #	HC	Notes
x	1938	January	3D	back-3	2M		3287
x	1938	May	3D	back-3	4M		3287
	1939	not made
x	1940	December	3D	back-3	2M		3287				HCB	Finger Printing
	1941	not made
x	1942	April	4	back-4	2M	1942	3287					Finger Printing
x	1943	April	4	back-4	2M	1942	3287					Finger Printing
	1944	not made
x	1945	January	5B-1	blank	2M	1942	3287					Finger Printing
x	1945	June	5B-1	blank	2M	1942	3287				HCE	Finger Printing
x	1946	February	5B-1	blank	2M	1942	3287					Finger Printing
x	1947	October	5B-2	blank	2M	1942	3287					Finger Printing
	1948	not made
x	1949	January	5B-2	blank	2M	1942	3287					Finger Printing
x	1950	March	5B-1	blank	2M	1942	3287					Finger Printing
x	1951	January	5B-1	blank	2M	1942	3287					Finger Printing
x	1951	September	5B-3	back-6a	3M	1942	3287				HCI
x	1952	November	6A	back-6b-1	3M	1942	3287
x	1953	May	6A	back-6b-1	4M	1942	3287
x	1954	January	6A	back-6b-2	4M	1942	3287				HCI
x	1954	October	6A	back-6b-2	6M	1942	3287
x	1955	May	6A	back-6b-2	8M	1942	3287				HCJV1
x	1956	July	6A	back-6b-2	8M	1942	3287				HCJV1
x	1957	July	6A	back-6b-2	8M	1942	3287				HCJV1
x	1958	November	6A	back-6c-2	8M	1942	3287
x	1959	November	6A	back-6c-2	8M	1942	3287
x	1960	May	6A	back-6d	8M	1942	3287
x	1961	May	6A	back-6e	9M	1942	3287				HCJV2
x	1962	July	6A	back-6f	9M	1942	3287
	1963	not made
x	1964	January	6B	back-6g	10M	1964	3287				HCP
x	1964	October	6B	back-6h	10M	1964	3287
x	1965	July	6B	back-6h	11M	1964	3287
x	1966	November	7	back-7	10M	1964	3287				HCL, HCP
x	1967	October	7	back-7	11M	1964	3287				HCP
x	1968	September	7	back-7	22M	1964	3287
	1969	not made
x	1970	August	7	back-7	12M	1964	3287				HCL, HCR
x	1971	December	7	back-7	10M	1964	3287				HCSV1
x	1972	December	8	back-8a	10M		3287				HC MISC S
x	1973	September	8	back-8a	14M		3287
x	1974	July	8	back-8b	15M		3287
x	1975	November	8	back-8c-1	11M		3287				HCT
	1976	not made
x	1977	February	8	back-8c-2	10M		3287
x	1978	March	8	back-8d	7.5M		3287
x	1979	May	8	back-8d	7M		3287
x	1980	September	9A	back-9a	6.5M		3287
c	1981	Special Edition for National Jamboree	9X				3287					National Jamboree Edition
	1981	not made
	1982	not made
x	1983	February	9B	back-9a	5M		3287
x	1983	August	9B	back-9a	7.5M	1983	3287
x	1984	July	9B	back-9a	7.5M	1983	3287
x	1985	May	9B	back-9b-2	7.5M	1983	3287
x	1986	June	9B	back-9b-2	7.5M	1983	3287
x	1987	April	9B	back-9b-2	7.5M	1983	3287
x	1988	January	9B	back-9b-2	7.5M		3287
x	1988	September	9B	back-9b-2	8.5M		3287
x	1989	September	9B	back-9b-2	9M		3287
	1990	not made
x	1991	February	9B	back-9c-1	9M		3287
x	1992	April	9B	back-9c-2	8M		33287	730176332871
x	1993	March	9B	back-9c-2	9M		33287	730176332871
x	1994	March	9B	back-9d	9M		33287	730176332871
x	1995	June	9B	back-9d	9M		33287	730176332871
x	1996	October	9B	back-9d	9M		33287	730176332871
	1997	not made
x	1998		9B	back-9d			33287	730176332871				states © 1983 only in front of book 1-1-1998 on inside back cover
x	1999		9B	back-9f			33287	730176332871
x	2000		9B	back-9f			33287	730176332871
x	2001		9B	back-9f			33287	730176332871
x	2002		9B	back-9f			33287	730176332871
x	2003		9C-1	back-9g			33287A	730176332871
x	2004		9C-1	back-9g			33287A	730176332871
x	2005		9C-1	back-9g			33287A	730176332871
	2006	not made
x	2007		9C-2	back-9h-2			33287A	730176332871
x	2008		10A	back-1008b1			35895	730176358956
x	2009		10B	back-1009b1			35895	730176358956
x	2010		10C-1	back-1010b1			35895	730176358956
	2011	not made
x	2012		10C-1	back-1010b1			35895	730176358956
	2013	not made
x	2014		10C-1	back-1010b1			35895 / 619600	730176358956 730176357652
x	2014		10C-2	back-1010b1			35895 / 619600	730176358956 730176357652				01268-AL
x	2015		10C-2	back-1010b1			619600	730176357652				01268-PSF
x	2016		10D	back-1016b1			619600	730176357652				01268-PSF
x	2017		10D	back-1016b1			619600	730176357652				00358-AL
	2018	not made
x	2019		10D	back-1019b1			650716	730176350554				358
	2020	not made
	2021	not made
	2022	not made
x	2023		10D	back-1019b1			650716	730176350554				358
	2024	not made
x	2025		11A	back-1125			35895	730176350554	650716	300084988		358

Earned and rank by year

Year	Earned	Rank	Of
1938	436	93	105
1939	1,384	66	106
1940	1,177	71	106
1941	860	78	106
1942	864	76	110
1943	1,051	75	112
1944	1,480	72	111
1945	1,405	72	111
1946	1,369	69	111
1947	1,387	67	111
1948	1,575	63	111
1949	1,522	64	111
1950	2,359	57	111
1951	4,133	47	111
1952	3,926	54	120
1953	3,985	48	105
1954	5,903	41	103
1955	7,028	40	100
1956	7,638	39	100
1957	8,011	37	100
1958	8,280	36	101
1959	9,939	35	101
1960	11,253	36	100
1961	12,342	37	101
1962	11,986	38	101
1963	11,660	39	102
1964	13,052	37	107
1965	11,323	38	109
1966	11,166	37	110
1967	12,052	38	112
1968	11,658	39	112
1969	12,694	37	113
1970	13,649	34	113
1971	12,858	36	113
1972	12,586	40	124
1973	13,421	39	122
1974	27,789	31	121
1975	28,824	29	128
1976	26,226	30	130
1977	21,574	32	130
1978	19,820	30	131
1979	16,272	30	132
1980	11,497	30	132
1981	16,239	30	134
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993	28,016	25	123
1994
1995
1996	36,014	22	134
1997
1998
1999
2000	43,003	19	128
2001	45,954	17	129
2002	50,485	17	129
2003	47,691	18	130
2004	49,449	17	121
2005	41,565	18	121
2006	42,348	19	121
2007	39,482	19	121
2008	41,065	18	121
2009	46,808	16	122
2010	46,395	15	125
2011	53,189	12	129
2012	46,594	15	132
2013	45,140	7	129
2014	43,820	15	136
2015	43,743	14	138
2016	40,700	15	138
2017	38,989	14	139
2018	38,239	14	139
2019	36,510	14	139
2020	18,898	14	137
2021		12	137
2022		12	138
2023		12	138
2024		15	138
2025		15	141