Genealogy Merit Badge History

Earned through 2020261,683

Best year19776,851 earned

All-time popularity#93official, as of 2020#96by 2025 (estimate)

Earned by Year

First earned in 1972. Peak year 1977 with 6,851. Hover over or tap a year for its numbers.

19721,189 earned#115 of 124

19731,586 earned#101 of 122

19744,742 earned#80 of 121

19756,269 earned#75 of 128

19766,522 earned#71 of 130

19776,851 earned#63 of 130

19786,663 earned#60 of 131

19795,179 earned#62 of 132

19803,177 earned#63 of 132

19815,106 earned#62 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

19936,680 earned#59 of 123

1994No data available

1995No data available

19966,005 earned#62 of 134

1997No data available

1998No data available

1999No data available

20005,610 earned#72 of 128

20015,309 earned#72 of 129

20025,722 earned#71 of 129

20035,702 earned#70 of 130

20045,714 earned#69 of 121

20055,704 earned#67 of 121

20065,218 earned#72 of 121

20074,387 earned#83 of 121

20084,841 earned#81 of 121

20095,674 earned#80 of 122

20106,386 earned#76 of 125

20115,452 earned#77 of 129

20125,641 earned#67 of 132

20135,740 earned#54 of 129

20145,474 earned#82 of 136

20155,316 earned#85 of 138

20164,570 earned#89 of 138

20175,213 earned#86 of 139

20184,830 earned#91 of 139

20194,096 earned#97 of 139

20206,020 earned#54 of 137

2021No data available#105 of 137

2022No data available#120 of 138

2023No data available#109 of 138

2024No data available#116 of 138

2025No data available#116 of 141

Known count No data available

"—" means merit badges were earned that year but the exact number is not currently known. "#116 of 141" means the badge was number 116 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.

19721,189#115 of 124

19731,586#101 of 122

19744,742#80 of 121

19756,269#75 of 128

19766,522#71 of 130

19776,851#63 of 130

19786,663#60 of 131

19795,179#62 of 132

19803,177#63 of 132

19815,106#62 of 134

1982—

1983—

1984—

1985—

1986—

1987—

1988—

1989—

1990—

1991—

1992—

19936,680#59 of 123

1994—

1995—

19966,005#62 of 134

1997—

1998—

1999—

20005,610#72 of 128

20015,309#72 of 129

20025,722#71 of 129

20035,702#70 of 130

20045,714#69 of 121

20055,704#67 of 121

20065,218#72 of 121

20074,387#83 of 121

20084,841#81 of 121

20095,674#80 of 122

20106,386#76 of 125

20115,452#77 of 129

20125,641#67 of 132

20135,740#54 of 129

20145,474#82 of 136

20155,316#85 of 138

20164,570#89 of 138

20175,213#86 of 139

20184,830#91 of 139

20194,096#97 of 139

20206,020#54 of 137

2021—#105 of 137

2022—#120 of 138

2023—#109 of 138

2024—#116 of 138

2025—#116 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.

Genealogy: workbook data

Printings (44)

Have	Year	Month	Cover	Back	Run	©	BSA #	UPC	SKU	SA #	Notes
x	1973	September	8A-1	back-8a-2	10M		3383
x	1974	June	8A-1	back-8b	10M		3383
x	1974	December	8A-1	back-8b	10M		3383
x	1975	November	8A-2	back-8c-1	10M		3383
	1976	not made
x	1977	February	8A-2	back-8c-2	9M		3383
	1977	July	8A-2		7M
x	1978	March	8A-2	back-8d	8M		3383
x	1979	July	8A-2	back-8d	7M		3383
x	1980	September	9A	back-9a	6M		3383
x	1981	December	9A	back-9a	6M		3383
x	1982	November	9B	back-9a	6M		3383
	1983	April	9B	back-9a	6M		3383
x	1983	November	9B	back-9a	6M		3383
x	1984	October	9B	back-9b-1	5.5M		3383
x	1985	October	9B	back-9b-2	6M
	1986	not made
	1987	not made
x	1988	August	9B	back-9b-2	6M	1988	3383
x	1989	June	9B	back-9b-2	10M	1988	3383
x	1990	July	9B	back-9c-1	7M	1988	3383
x	1991	April	9B	back-9c-1	7M	1988	3383
x	1992	October	9B	back-9c-2	7M	1988	33383	730176333830
	1993	not made
x	1994	March	9B	back-9d	6M	1988	33383	730176333830
x	1995	February	9B	back-9d	6.5M	1988	33383	730176333830
x	1996	February	9B	back-9d	6.5M		33383	730176333830
x	1997	September	9B	back-9d			33383	730176333830
	1998	not made
x	1999		9B	back-9f			33383	730176333830
x	2000		9B	back-9f			33383	730176333830
	2001	not made
	2002	not made
x	2003		9B	back-9g			33383	730176333830
x	2004		9B	back-9g			33383	730176333830
	2005	not made
x	2006		9C-1	back-9g			33383A	730176333830
x	2007		9C-2	back-9h-1			33383A	730176333830
x	2008		10A	back-1008b1			35903	730176359038
	2009	not made
x	2010		10C-1A	back-1010b1			35903	730176359038
	2011	not made
x	2012		10C-1A	back-1010b1			35903	730176359038
x	2013		10C-1B	back-1013b1		2013	35903	730176359038			01268-AL
x	2014		10C-2	back-1013b1		2013	35903	730176359038			01268-AL
	2015	not made
x	2016		10D	back-1016b1		2013	35903	730176359038			01042-AL
x	2017		10D	back-1016b1		2013	35903	730176359038			00358-AL
x	2017		10D	back-1016b1		2013	35903	730176359038			358
x	2018		10D	back-1019b1		2013	35903	730176359038			358
x	2019		10D	back-1019b1			35903	730176359038			358
x	2020		10D	back-1019b1			655706	730176351926			358
	2021	not made
x	2022		10D	back-1019b1			656913	7301766569132			358
x	2023		10D	back-1019b1			660396	7301766603966			358
x	2024		11A	back-1125			35903	7301766603966	660396	300082359	358
	2025	not made

Earned and rank by year

Year	Earned	Rank	Of
1972	1,189	115	124
1973	1,586	101	122
1974	4,742	80	121
1975	6,269	75	128
1976	6,522	71	130
1977	6,851	63	130
1978	6,663	60	131
1979	5,179	62	132
1980	3,177	63	132
1981	5,106	62	134
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993	6,680	59	123
1994
1995
1996	6,005	62	134
1997
1998
1999
2000	5,610	72	128
2001	5,309	72	129
2002	5,722	71	129
2003	5,702	70	130
2004	5,714	69	121
2005	5,704	67	121
2006	5,218	72	121
2007	4,387	83	121
2008	4,841	81	121
2009	5,674	80	122
2010	6,386	76	125
2011	5,452	77	129
2012	5,641	67	132
2013	5,740	54	129
2014	5,474	82	136
2015	5,316	85	138
2016	4,570	89	138
2017	5,213	86	139
2018	4,830	91	139
2019	4,096	97	139
2020	6,020	54	137
2021		105	137
2022		120	138
2023		109	138
2024		116	138
2025		116	141