Indian Lore Merit Badge History

Earned through 20201,292,119

Best year200432,477 earned

All-time popularity#37official, as of 2020#36by 2025 (estimate)

Earned by Year

First earned in 1931. Peak year 2004 with 32,477. Hover over or tap a year for its numbers.

1931281 earned#92 of 96

1932332 earned#89 of 98

1933719 earned#80 of 101

1934331 earned#92 of 101

1935431 earned#87 of 101

1936396 earned#86 of 101

1937437 earned#92 of 102

1938504 earned#90 of 105

1939589 earned#88 of 106

1940560 earned#84 of 106

1941752 earned#81 of 106

1942424 earned#89 of 110

1943563 earned#87 of 112

1944939 earned#82 of 111

1945788 earned#85 of 111

1946886 earned#78 of 111

1947870 earned#76 of 111

19481,002 earned#72 of 111

1949996 earned#74 of 111

19501,427 earned#70 of 111

19511,690 earned#73 of 111

19521,980 earned#73 of 120

19532,076 earned#64 of 105

19542,447 earned#63 of 103

19552,638 earned#64 of 100

19563,349 earned#60 of 100

19573,077 earned#61 of 100

19583,892 earned#57 of 101

19593,948 earned#57 of 101

19605,668 earned#49 of 100

19617,198 earned#48 of 101

19627,239 earned#48 of 101

19637,432 earned#48 of 102

19648,269 earned#46 of 107

19658,990 earned#42 of 109

19668,955 earned#41 of 110

196710,804 earned#40 of 112

196810,756 earned#41 of 112

196911,817 earned#40 of 113

197012,496 earned#38 of 113

197112,192 earned#38 of 113

197212,806 earned#38 of 124

197312,972 earned#41 of 122

197419,732 earned#39 of 121

197520,233 earned#39 of 128

197619,851 earned#36 of 130

197717,448 earned#36 of 130

197816,292 earned#34 of 131

197914,283 earned#34 of 132

198010,397 earned#31 of 132

198115,688 earned#31 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

199330,949 earned#23 of 123

1994No data available

1995No data available

199630,495 earned#26 of 134

1997No data available

1998No data available

1999No data available

200028,394 earned#28 of 128

200128,552 earned#27 of 129

200232,025 earned#24 of 129

200332,227 earned#23 of 130

200432,477 earned#22 of 121

200528,581 earned#23 of 121

200630,800 earned#21 of 121

200729,624 earned#20 of 121

200829,161 earned#21 of 121

200931,293 earned#20 of 122

201028,530 earned#23 of 125

201128,591 earned#21 of 129

201226,705 earned#22 of 132

201324,535 earned#18 of 129

201422,997 earned#29 of 136

201522,241 earned#27 of 138

201618,234 earned#31 of 138

201717,003 earned#31 of 139

201816,003 earned#32 of 139

201913,530 earned#38 of 139

20207,240 earned#42 of 137

2021No data available#36 of 137

2022No data available#40 of 138

2023No data available#53 of 138

2024No data available#63 of 138

2025No data available

Known count No data available

"—" means merit badges were earned that year but the exact number is not currently known. "#63 of 138" means the badge was number 63 of the 138 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.

1931281#92 of 96

1932332#89 of 98

1933719#80 of 101

1934331#92 of 101

1935431#87 of 101

1936396#86 of 101

1937437#92 of 102

1938504#90 of 105

1939589#88 of 106

1940560#84 of 106

1941752#81 of 106

1942424#89 of 110

1943563#87 of 112

1944939#82 of 111

1945788#85 of 111

1946886#78 of 111

1947870#76 of 111

19481,002#72 of 111

1949996#74 of 111

19501,427#70 of 111

19511,690#73 of 111

19521,980#73 of 120

19532,076#64 of 105

19542,447#63 of 103

19552,638#64 of 100

19563,349#60 of 100

19573,077#61 of 100

19583,892#57 of 101

19593,948#57 of 101

19605,668#49 of 100

19617,198#48 of 101

19627,239#48 of 101

19637,432#48 of 102

19648,269#46 of 107

19658,990#42 of 109

19668,955#41 of 110

196710,804#40 of 112

196810,756#41 of 112

196911,817#40 of 113

197012,496#38 of 113

197112,192#38 of 113

197212,806#38 of 124

197312,972#41 of 122

197419,732#39 of 121

197520,233#39 of 128

197619,851#36 of 130

197717,448#36 of 130

197816,292#34 of 131

197914,283#34 of 132

198010,397#31 of 132

198115,688#31 of 134

1982—

1983—

1984—

1985—

1986—

1987—

1988—

1989—

1990—

1991—

1992—

199330,949#23 of 123

1994—

1995—

199630,495#26 of 134

1997—

1998—

1999—

200028,394#28 of 128

200128,552#27 of 129

200232,025#24 of 129

200332,227#23 of 130

200432,477#22 of 121

200528,581#23 of 121

200630,800#21 of 121

200729,624#20 of 121

200829,161#21 of 121

200931,293#20 of 122

201028,530#23 of 125

201128,591#21 of 129

201226,705#22 of 132

201324,535#18 of 129

201422,997#29 of 136

201522,241#27 of 138

201618,234#31 of 138

201717,003#31 of 139

201816,003#32 of 139

201913,530#38 of 139

20207,240#42 of 137

2021—#36 of 137

2022—#40 of 138

2023—#53 of 138

2024—#63 of 138

2025—

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.

Indian Lore: workbook data

Printings (87)

Have	Year	Month	Cover	Back	Run	©	BSA #	UPC	SKU	SA #	HC
x	1932	April	3B		3M
x	1933	May	3B		1M
x	1934	July	3B		1M
x	1935	March	3B		1M
x	1935	November	3B		2M
	1936	not made
x	1937	May	3B		2M
c	1938	October	3B		2M
x	1938	October	3D		2M
c	1939	May	3B
x	1940	February	3D		2M
x	1941	June	3B		2M
x	1942	March	4		4M	1942
	1943	March	4		4M	1942
x	1944	July	5A		1M	1942
x	1945	February	5B		3.5M	1942
x	1945	November	5B		2M	1942
x	1946	March	5B		4M	1942
x	1947	August	5B		3M	1942
x	1948	August	5B		4M	1942
x	1949	October	5B		4M	1942
x	1950	September	5B		4M	1942
x	1951	March	5B		5M	1942
x	1951	November	5B		8M	1942
	1952	not made
x	1953	January	6A		7M	1942
x	1953	September	6A		8M	1942					HCI
x	1954	September	6A		5M	1942
x	1955	March	6A	back-6b-2	6M	1942
x	1955	October	6A		6M	1942
x	1956	February	6A		15M	1942					HCJV1
x	1957	January	6A		10M	1942
x	1957	April	6A		15M	1942
x	1958	January	6A		15M	1942
x	1959	January	6B		25M	1959					HCJV1, HCJV2
x	1960	September	6B		20M	1959					HCJV2
x	1961	December	6C		20M	1959					HCJ
	1962	not made
x	1963	May	6C		15M	1959					HCJV2, HCK
x	1964	April	6C		15M	1959					HCP
x	1965	March	6C		15M	1959					HCK
x	1966	February	6C		17M	1959
x	1967	April	6C		15M	1959
x	1968	March	7A		17M	1959
x	1969	February	7A		18M	1959					HCL
x	1970	January	7B		22M	1959
x	1971	February	7B		25M	1959
x	1972	April	7B		20M	1959
x	1973	June	8A		20M	1959					HCT
	1974	not made
x	1975	January	8B		18M	1959
x	1975	May	8B		9M	1959
x	1976	March	8B		18M	1959
x	1977	April	8B		15M	1959
x	1978	June	8B		12M	1959
	1979	not made
x	1980	January	9A		11M	1959
x	1980	December	9A		12M	1959
x	1981	September	9A		12M	1959
x	1982	July	9A		12M	1959
x	1983	May	9A		12M	1959
x	1984	May	9A		12M	1959
x	1985	April	9A		13M	1959
x	1986	April	9A		12M	1959
x	1987	February	9A		13M	1959
x	1987	December	9A		12M	1959
x	1988	August	9A		12M	1959
x	1989	April	9A		17M	1959
x	1990	April	9A		16M	1959
	1991	not made
x	1992	March	9A		16M	1959
x	1992	November	9A		16M	1959
	1993	not made
x	1994	June	9A		16M	1959
	1995	not made
x	1996	February	9B		15M
x	1996	August	9B		15M	1996
x	1997	September	9B			1996
	1998	not made
x	1999		9B			1996
x	2000		9B			1996
x	2001		9B			1996
	2002	not made
x	2003		9B			1996
	2004	not made
x	2005		9B			2003
x	2006		9B			2003
x	2007		9B			2003
x	2008		10A			2008
	2009	not made
x	2010		10C			2008
x	2011		10C			2008
	2012	not made
x	2013		10C			2008
	2014	not made
	2015	not made
	2016	not made
x	2017		10D			2008
x	2017		10D			2008
	2018	not made
x	2019		10D			2008
x	2020		10D			2008
	2021	not made
x	2022		10D			2008
	2023	not made
x	2024		10D			2008	35910	730176351612	655636	300067150
	2025	not made

Earned and rank by year

Year	Earned	Rank	Of
1931	281	92	96
1932	332	89	98
1933	719	80	101
1934	331	92	101
1935	431	87	101
1936	396	86	101
1937	437	92	102
1938	504	90	105
1939	589	88	106
1940	560	84	106
1941	752	81	106
1942	424	89	110
1943	563	87	112
1944	939	82	111
1945	788	85	111
1946	886	78	111
1947	870	76	111
1948	1,002	72	111
1949	996	74	111
1950	1,427	70	111
1951	1,690	73	111
1952	1,980	73	120
1953	2,076	64	105
1954	2,447	63	103
1955	2,638	64	100
1956	3,349	60	100
1957	3,077	61	100
1958	3,892	57	101
1959	3,948	57	101
1960	5,668	49	100
1961	7,198	48	101
1962	7,239	48	101
1963	7,432	48	102
1964	8,269	46	107
1965	8,990	42	109
1966	8,955	41	110
1967	10,804	40	112
1968	10,756	41	112
1969	11,817	40	113
1970	12,496	38	113
1971	12,192	38	113
1972	12,806	38	124
1973	12,972	41	122
1974	19,732	39	121
1975	20,233	39	128
1976	19,851	36	130
1977	17,448	36	130
1978	16,292	34	131
1979	14,283	34	132
1980	10,397	31	132
1981	15,688	31	134
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993	30,949	23	123
1994
1995
1996	30,495	26	134
1997
1998
1999
2000	28,394	28	128
2001	28,552	27	129
2002	32,025	24	129
2003	32,227	23	130
2004	32,477	22	121
2005	28,581	23	121
2006	30,800	21	121
2007	29,624	20	121
2008	29,161	21	121
2009	31,293	20	122
2010	28,530	23	125
2011	28,591	21	129
2012	26,705	22	132
2013	24,535	18	129
2014	22,997	29	136
2015	22,241	27	138
2016	18,234	31	138
2017	17,003	31	139
2018	16,003	32	139
2019	13,530	38	139
2020	7,240	42	137
2021		36	137
2022		40	138
2023		53	138
2024		63	138
2025