Pottery Merit Badge History

Earned through 2020427,803

Best year200219,464 earned

All-time popularity#72official, as of 2020#72by 2025 (estimate)

Earned by Year

First earned in 1928. Peak year 2002 with 19,464. Hover over or tap a year for its numbers.

1927No data available

19283,354 earned#39 of 88

19291,014 earned#64 of 89

19301,325 earned#60 of 92

19311,565 earned#60 of 96

1932992 earned#70 of 98

1933963 earned#73 of 101

1934714 earned#76 of 101

1935511 earned#85 of 101

1936539 earned#79 of 101

1937524 earned#88 of 102

1938627 earned#84 of 105

1939598 earned#87 of 106

1940540 earned#88 of 106

1941462 earned#93 of 106

1942386 earned#90 of 110

1943339 earned#98 of 112

1944434 earned#99 of 111

1945448 earned#99 of 111

1946441 earned#99 of 111

1947256 earned#102 of 111

1948385 earned#96 of 111

1949402 earned#99 of 111

1950688 earned#87 of 111

1951877 earned#85 of 111

19521,201 earned#87 of 120

1953979 earned#80 of 105

19541,190 earned#82 of 103

19551,136 earned#85 of 100

19561,163 earned#85 of 100

19571,135 earned#85 of 100

19581,288 earned#84 of 101

19591,402 earned#85 of 101

19601,524 earned#85 of 100

19611,603 earned#85 of 101

19621,650 earned#87 of 101

19631,836 earned#83 of 102

19642,144 earned#76 of 107

19652,336 earned#72 of 109

19662,159 earned#78 of 110

19672,636 earned#76 of 112

19682,667 earned#77 of 112

19692,954 earned#76 of 113

19703,094 earned#74 of 113

19713,509 earned#68 of 113

19724,163 earned#71 of 124

19734,650 earned#69 of 122

19746,225 earned#71 of 121

19756,379 earned#73 of 128

19765,449 earned#75 of 130

19775,021 earned#74 of 130

19784,515 earned#72 of 131

19793,344 earned#74 of 132

19802,107 earned#78 of 132

19812,547 earned#82 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

19934,363 earned#70 of 123

1994No data available

1995No data available

199611,358 earned#51 of 134

1997No data available

1998No data available

1999No data available

200014,299 earned#46 of 128

200114,707 earned#41 of 129

200219,464 earned#35 of 129

200312,747 earned#49 of 130

200410,595 earned#52 of 121

20059,218 earned#54 of 121

20069,272 earned#55 of 121

20078,574 earned#54 of 121

20089,388 earned#55 of 121

20099,885 earned#55 of 122

20108,937 earned#57 of 125

201110,493 earned#52 of 129

201210,157 earned#51 of 132

20139,869 earned#42 of 129

20149,050 earned#62 of 136

20158,384 earned#63 of 138

20168,230 earned#63 of 138

20177,940 earned#62 of 139

20187,890 earned#62 of 139

20198,566 earned#58 of 139

20202,842 earned#101 of 137

2021No data available#51 of 137

2022No data available#57 of 138

2023No data available#48 of 138

2024No data available#55 of 138

2025No data available#46 of 141

Known count No data available

"—" means merit badges were earned that year but the exact number is not currently known. "#46 of 141" means the badge was number 46 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.

1927—

19283,354#39 of 88

19291,014#64 of 89

19301,325#60 of 92

19311,565#60 of 96

1932992#70 of 98

1933963#73 of 101

1934714#76 of 101

1935511#85 of 101

1936539#79 of 101

1937524#88 of 102

1938627#84 of 105

1939598#87 of 106

1940540#88 of 106

1941462#93 of 106

1942386#90 of 110

1943339#98 of 112

1944434#99 of 111

1945448#99 of 111

1946441#99 of 111

1947256#102 of 111

1948385#96 of 111

1949402#99 of 111

1950688#87 of 111

1951877#85 of 111

19521,201#87 of 120

1953979#80 of 105

19541,190#82 of 103

19551,136#85 of 100

19561,163#85 of 100

19571,135#85 of 100

19581,288#84 of 101

19591,402#85 of 101

19601,524#85 of 100

19611,603#85 of 101

19621,650#87 of 101

19631,836#83 of 102

19642,144#76 of 107

19652,336#72 of 109

19662,159#78 of 110

19672,636#76 of 112

19682,667#77 of 112

19692,954#76 of 113

19703,094#74 of 113

19713,509#68 of 113

19724,163#71 of 124

19734,650#69 of 122

19746,225#71 of 121

19756,379#73 of 128

19765,449#75 of 130

19775,021#74 of 130

19784,515#72 of 131

19793,344#74 of 132

19802,107#78 of 132

19812,547#82 of 134

1982—

1983—

1984—

1985—

1986—

1987—

1988—

1989—

1990—

1991—

1992—

19934,363#70 of 123

1994—

1995—

199611,358#51 of 134

1997—

1998—

1999—

200014,299#46 of 128

200114,707#41 of 129

200219,464#35 of 129

200312,747#49 of 130

200410,595#52 of 121

20059,218#54 of 121

20069,272#55 of 121

20078,574#54 of 121

20089,388#55 of 121

20099,885#55 of 122

20108,937#57 of 125

201110,493#52 of 129

201210,157#51 of 132

20139,869#42 of 129

20149,050#62 of 136

20158,384#63 of 138

20168,230#63 of 138

20177,940#62 of 139

20187,890#62 of 139

20198,566#58 of 139

20202,842#101 of 137

2021—#51 of 137

2022—#57 of 138

2023—#48 of 138

2024—#55 of 138

2025—#46 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.

Pottery: workbook data

Printings (81)

Have	Year	Month	Cover	Back	Run	©	BSA #	UPC	SKU	SA #	HC	Notes
c	1919		1C									craftsmanship-pottery-hb 20th edition reference
	1920	not made
	1921	not made
	1922	not made
c	1923		2									craftsmanship-pottery
	1924	not made
x	1925		3A-1 over 2									craftsmanship-pottery
c	1925		3A-1									craftsmanship-pottery
x	1926		3A-1									craftsmanship-pottery
	1927		3A-2									craftsmanship-pottery
	1928	not made
x	1929	November	3B
	1930	June	3B
	1931	not made
x	1932	February	3B		1M
	1933	not made
x	1934	June	3B		1M
	1935	not made
x	1936	March	3B		1M
x	1937	November	3B		1M
	1938	not made
x	1939	April	3B		1M
x	1939	April	3D		1M
	1940	not made
x	1941	May	3D		1M
	1942	not made
x	1943	April	4		1M
x	1944	June	5A		1M
	1945	September	5B		1M
x	1946	March	5B		1M
x	1947	December	5B		1M						HCF
	1948	not made
x	1949	February	5B		1M
c	1950	February	5B		1M
x	1951	July	5B		1M
x	1951	August	5B		1M						HCH
x	1952	May	6		2M
x	1953	August	6		2M
x	1954	September	6		3M
	1955	not made
x	1956	May	6		2M
x	1957	January	6		3M
x	1958	January	6		3M
x	1959	July	6		3M
x	1960	August	6		3M
x	1961	September	6		2.5M
	1962	not made
x	1963	April	6		2.5M						HCJV2
x	1964	February	6		2.5M
c	1965	March	6		2.5M						HCK
x	1966	February	6		2.5M
x	1967	February	7A		3M						HCL
x	1968	May	7A		3M						HCL
c	1969	June	7B		4M	1969					HCL
x	1970	December	7B		3M	1969
x	1971	September	7B		4M	1969
	1972	not made
x	1973	January	8A		3M	1969
x	1973	December	8A		5M	1969
	1974	not made
x	1975	January	8A		4M	1969
x	1976	February	8B		3.3M	1969
x	1977	January	8B		3.5M	1969
x	1978	February	8B		3M	1969
x	1979	July	8B		2.3M							has 2.3m797 date code
x	1980	December	9A		2.5M
	1981	not made
	1982	not made
x	1983	January	9A		2.5M
c	1984	July	9A	back-9a	2M						HCU
x	1985	June	9A		2M
x	1986	November	9A		2M
x	1987	August	9A		2M
x	1988	March	9A		2M
x	1989	January	9A		3M
x	1990	January	9A		5M
x	1991	March	9A		3M
x	1992	July	9A		3M
x	1993	June	9A		3M
c	1994		9A
x	1995	October	9A		3M
c	1996	July	9A		5M
x	1997	September	9A									-
	1998	not made
x	1999		9A
x	2000		9A
x	2001		9A
x	2002		9
x	2003		9
x	2004		9
x	2005		9
x	2006		9
x	2007		9
x	2008		10A
x	2009		10B
x	2010		10C
	2011	not made
	2012	not made
	2013	not made
	2014	not made
x	2015		10C									no logo or marking on back
x	2016		10C
	2017	not made
	2018	not made
	2019	not made
x	2020		10D
	2021	not made
	2022	not made
	2023	not made
x	2024		10D			2008	35934	730176346489	638102	300062768
	2025	not made

Earned and rank by year

Year	Earned	Rank	Of
1927
1928	3,354	39	88
1929	1,014	64	89
1930	1,325	60	92
1931	1,565	60	96
1932	992	70	98
1933	963	73	101
1934	714	76	101
1935	511	85	101
1936	539	79	101
1937	524	88	102
1938	627	84	105
1939	598	87	106
1940	540	88	106
1941	462	93	106
1942	386	90	110
1943	339	98	112
1944	434	99	111
1945	448	99	111
1946	441	99	111
1947	256	102	111
1948	385	96	111
1949	402	99	111
1950	688	87	111
1951	877	85	111
1952	1,201	87	120
1953	979	80	105
1954	1,190	82	103
1955	1,136	85	100
1956	1,163	85	100
1957	1,135	85	100
1958	1,288	84	101
1959	1,402	85	101
1960	1,524	85	100
1961	1,603	85	101
1962	1,650	87	101
1963	1,836	83	102
1964	2,144	76	107
1965	2,336	72	109
1966	2,159	78	110
1967	2,636	76	112
1968	2,667	77	112
1969	2,954	76	113
1970	3,094	74	113
1971	3,509	68	113
1972	4,163	71	124
1973	4,650	69	122
1974	6,225	71	121
1975	6,379	73	128
1976	5,449	75	130
1977	5,021	74	130
1978	4,515	72	131
1979	3,344	74	132
1980	2,107	78	132
1981	2,547	82	134
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993	4,363	70	123
1994
1995
1996	11,358	51	134
1997
1998
1999
2000	14,299	46	128
2001	14,707	41	129
2002	19,464	35	129
2003	12,747	49	130
2004	10,595	52	121
2005	9,218	54	121
2006	9,272	55	121
2007	8,574	54	121
2008	9,388	55	121
2009	9,885	55	122
2010	8,937	57	125
2011	10,493	52	129
2012	10,157	51	132
2013	9,869	42	129
2014	9,050	62	136
2015	8,384	63	138
2016	8,230	63	138
2017	7,940	62	139
2018	7,890	62	139
2019	8,566	58	139
2020	2,842	101	137
2021		51	137
2022		57	138
2023		48	138
2024		55	138
2025		46	141