Pigeon Raising Merit Badge History

Earned through 198148,522

Best year19592,058 earned

All-time popularity#173official, as of 2020#177by 2025 (estimate)

Earned by Year

First earned in 1933. Peak year 1959 with 2,058. Hover over or tap a year for its numbers.

1933448 earned#89 of 101

1934263 earned#93 of 101

1935538 earned#83 of 101

1936380 earned#87 of 101

1937558 earned#86 of 102

19381,478 earned#64 of 105

1939669 earned#83 of 106

1940684 earned#81 of 106

1941987 earned#74 of 106

1942605 earned#82 of 110

1943935 earned#79 of 112

19441,348 earned#75 of 111

19451,176 earned#76 of 111

1946825 earned#82 of 111

1947645 earned#84 of 111

1948666 earned#80 of 111

1949577 earned#87 of 111

1950651 earned#88 of 111

1951748 earned#89 of 111

1952743 earned#96 of 120

1953825 earned#84 of 105

1954984 earned#87 of 103

19551,094 earned#87 of 100

1956993 earned#88 of 100

19571,114 earned#86 of 100

19581,460 earned#82 of 101

19592,058 earned#77 of 101

19601,581 earned#84 of 100

19611,853 earned#82 of 101

19621,823 earned#83 of 101

19631,955 earned#76 of 102

19641,737 earned#84 of 107

19651,272 earned#95 of 109

19661,132 earned#100 of 110

19671,000 earned#101 of 112

1968877 earned#104 of 112

19691,015 earned#105 of 113

1970901 earned#106 of 113

1971931 earned#105 of 113

19721,474 earned#108 of 124

19731,142 earned#107 of 122

19741,560 earned#115 of 121

19751,119 earned#122 of 128

19761,014 earned#123 of 130

1977961 earned#120 of 130

19781,080 earned#119 of 131

1979148 earned#118 of 132

1980255 earned#118 of 132

1981240 earned#119 of 134

"#119 of 134" means the badge was number 119 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.

1933448#89 of 101

1934263#93 of 101

1935538#83 of 101

1936380#87 of 101

1937558#86 of 102

19381,478#64 of 105

1939669#83 of 106

1940684#81 of 106

1941987#74 of 106

1942605#82 of 110

1943935#79 of 112

19441,348#75 of 111

19451,176#76 of 111

1946825#82 of 111

1947645#84 of 111

1948666#80 of 111

1949577#87 of 111

1950651#88 of 111

1951748#89 of 111

1952743#96 of 120

1953825#84 of 105

1954984#87 of 103

19551,094#87 of 100

1956993#88 of 100

19571,114#86 of 100

19581,460#82 of 101

19592,058#77 of 101

19601,581#84 of 100

19611,853#82 of 101

19621,823#83 of 101

19631,955#76 of 102

19641,737#84 of 107

19651,272#95 of 109

19661,132#100 of 110

19671,000#101 of 112

1968877#104 of 112

19691,015#105 of 113

1970901#106 of 113

1971931#105 of 113

19721,474#108 of 124

19731,142#107 of 122

19741,560#115 of 121

19751,119#122 of 128

19761,014#123 of 130

1977961#120 of 130

19781,080#119 of 131

1979148#118 of 132

1980255#118 of 132

1981240#119 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.

Pigeon Raising: workbook data

Printings (39)

Have	Year	Month	Cover	Run	©	HC
	1933	not made
x	1934	August	3B	2M
	1935	not made
	1936	not made
x	1937	June	3B	1M
	1938	not made
x	1939	February	3B	1M
x	1940	January	3B	1M
c	1941	June	4	1M
x	1942	July	4	2M
x	1943	August	4	1M
	1944	not made
x	1945	January	5B	1M
	1945	May	5B	1.5M
	1945	December	5B	1M
x	1946	October	5B	2M	1943
	1947	not made
	1948	not made
	1949	not made
x	1950	February	5B	1M
	1951	not made
x	1952	January	5B	1M
c	1953	July	6A	2M		HCI
x	1954	July	6A	2M
c	1955	January	6A	2M		HCJV1
x	1956	January	6A	3M
x	1957	February	6A	3M
	1958	March	6B	3M	1958
x	1959	March	6B	3M	1958	HCJV1
	1960	January	6B	3M	1958
x	1960	July	6B	3.5M	1958
x	1961	May	6B	4M	1958
c	1962	March	6B	4M	1958	HCJ
x	1963	January	6B	4.5M	1958
	1963	December	6B	5.5M	1958
	1964	not made
x	1965	April	6B	4.5M	1958	HCP
x	1966	October	7	4M	1958
	1967	not made
x	1968	February	7	3M	1958
	1968	December	7	3.5M	1958
	1969	not made
x	1970	January	7	3.5M	1958	HCL
x	1971	April	7	3M	1958	HCM
x	1972	May	7	3M	1958	HCSV1
x	1973	June	8A	3M	1958
x	1974	June	8B	3.5M	1958
	1975	March	8B	3M	1958
x	1976	November	8B	2.5M	1958
	1977	not made
x	1978	January	8B	2M	1958
x	1979	June	8B	1.7M
	1980	not made

Earned and rank by year

Year	Earned	Rank	Of
1933	448	89	101
1934	263	93	101
1935	538	83	101
1936	380	87	101
1937	558	86	102
1938	1,478	64	105
1939	669	83	106
1940	684	81	106
1941	987	74	106
1942	605	82	110
1943	935	79	112
1944	1,348	75	111
1945	1,176	76	111
1946	825	82	111
1947	645	84	111
1948	666	80	111
1949	577	87	111
1950	651	88	111
1951	748	89	111
1952	743	96	120
1953	825	84	105
1954	984	87	103
1955	1,094	87	100
1956	993	88	100
1957	1,114	86	100
1958	1,460	82	101
1959	2,058	77	101
1960	1,581	84	100
1961	1,853	82	101
1962	1,823	83	101
1963	1,955	76	102
1964	1,737	84	107
1965	1,272	95	109
1966	1,132	100	110
1967	1,000	101	112
1968	877	104	112
1969	1,015	105	113
1970	901	106	113
1971	931	105	113
1972	1,474	108	124
1973	1,142	107	122
1974	1,560	115	121
1975	1,119	122	128
1976	1,014	123	130
1977	961	120	130
1978	1,080	119	131
1979	148	118	132
1980	255	118	132
1981	240	119	134