Seamanship Merit Badge History

Earned through 196420,622

Best year19281,696 earned

All-time popularity#198official, as of 2020#200by 2025 (estimate)

Earned by Year

First earned in 1912. Peak year 1928 with 1,696. Hover over or tap a year for its numbers.

19110 earned

191211 earned#39 of 51

191331 earned#37 of 56

191457 earned#42 of 58

191537 earned#41 of 58

191626 earned#45 of 56

191728 earned#50 of 58

191824 earned#53 of 58

191973 earned#54 of 59

192081 earned#51 of 59

1921150 earned#55 of 61

1922239 earned#51 of 61

1923172 earned#55 of 63

1924256 earned#52 of 64

1925214 earned#56 of 64

1926313 earned#58 of 65

1927367 earned#64 of 68

19281,696 earned#57 of 88

1929325 earned#80 of 89

1930270 earned#86 of 92

1931398 earned#90 of 96

1932412 earned#84 of 98

1933434 earned#91 of 101

1934373 earned#87 of 101

1935355 earned#92 of 101

1936419 earned#85 of 101

1937429 earned#93 of 102

1938569 earned#87 of 105

1939463 earned#92 of 106

1940456 earned#92 of 106

1941465 earned#92 of 106

1942332 earned#94 of 110

1943413 earned#92 of 112

1944510 earned#92 of 111

1945499 earned#97 of 111

1946483 earned#94 of 111

1947436 earned#97 of 111

1948319 earned#99 of 111

1949331 earned#103 of 111

1950344 earned#103 of 111

1951432 earned#105 of 111

1952505 earned#109 of 120

1953388 earned#98 of 105

1954525 earned#95 of 103

1955555 earned#95 of 100

1956473 earned#96 of 100

1957513 earned#97 of 100

1958525 earned#98 of 101

1959553 earned#100 of 101

1960587 earned#98 of 100

1961616 earned#97 of 101

1962586 earned#99 of 101

1963723 earned#97 of 102

1964831 earned#98 of 107

"#98 of 107" means the badge was number 98 of the 107 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.

19110none earned

191211#39 of 51

191331#37 of 56

191457#42 of 58

191537#41 of 58

191626#45 of 56

191728#50 of 58

191824#53 of 58

191973#54 of 59

192081#51 of 59

1921150#55 of 61

1922239#51 of 61

1923172#55 of 63

1924256#52 of 64

1925214#56 of 64

1926313#58 of 65

1927367#64 of 68

19281,696#57 of 88

1929325#80 of 89

1930270#86 of 92

1931398#90 of 96

1932412#84 of 98

1933434#91 of 101

1934373#87 of 101

1935355#92 of 101

1936419#85 of 101

1937429#93 of 102

1938569#87 of 105

1939463#92 of 106

1940456#92 of 106

1941465#92 of 106

1942332#94 of 110

1943413#92 of 112

1944510#92 of 111

1945499#97 of 111

1946483#94 of 111

1947436#97 of 111

1948319#99 of 111

1949331#103 of 111

1950344#103 of 111

1951432#105 of 111

1952505#109 of 120

1953388#98 of 105

1954525#95 of 103

1955555#95 of 100

1956473#96 of 100

1957513#97 of 100

1958525#98 of 101

1959553#100 of 101

1960587#98 of 100

1961616#97 of 101

1962586#99 of 101

1963723#97 of 102

1964831#98 of 107

Grand total through 1964:

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.

Seamanship: workbook data

Printings (41)

Have	Year	Month	Cover	Back	Run	©	HC	Notes
c	1920		1C					hb 20th edition reference
c	1920		2					20c Wireless
	1921	not made
	1922	not made
c	1923		2					15c Radio
	1924		2					20c Radio
x	1925		3A	blank		1925
	1926	not made
x	1927		3A	blank		1927
	1928	not made
	1929	not made
x	1930	March	3B	blank		1930
c	1930	September	3B	blank
	1931	not made
x	1932	April	3B	blank	1M	1932
	1933	April	3B	blank	1M	1932
c	1933	June	3B	blank	1M	1932
x	1934	April	3B	blank	1M	1932
	1935	not made
x	1936	January	3B	blank	1M	1932
x	1937	March	3B	blank	1M	1932
c	1938	March	3B	blank	1M	1932
	1939	April	3D	blank	1M
x	1939	April	3D	blank	1M			with pasted february 1940 effective requirements
c	1939		4	back-4
c	1940	May	3D	blank	2M
x	1940	May	4	back-4	2M
	1941	not made
x	1942	May	4	back-4	2M	1942
	1943	not made
x	1944	March	4	back-4	3M	1942
x	1944	March	5A	back-5a	3M	1942
	1945	April	5B	blank	1M
x	1945	November	5B	blank	2M	1945
	1946	not made
x	1947	April	5B	blank	2M	1945
x	1948	November	5B	blank	2M	1945
	1949	not made
x	1950	December	5B		2M	1945
x	1951	November	5B		2M	1945	HCH
	1952	not made
x	1953	January	6		2M	1945	HCI
x	1953	October	6		3M	1945	HCI
x	1954	July	6		3M	1945	HCJV1
x	1955	May	6		4M	1945
x	1956	May	6		4M	1945
x	1957	June	6		4M	1945
x	1958	May	6		4M	1945
x	1959	May	6		4M	1945	HCJV1
x	1960	April	6		4M	1945
x	1961	February	6		4M	1945
x	1962	May	6		4M	1945
x	1963	May	6		4M	1945
	1964	not made

Earned and rank by year

Year	Earned	Rank	Of
1911	0
1912	11	39	51
1913	31	37	56
1914	57	42	58
1915	37	41	58
1916	26	45	56
1917	28	50	58
1918	24	53	58
1919	73	54	59
1920	81	51	59
1921	150	55	61
1922	239	51	61
1923	172	55	63
1924	256	52	64
1925	214	56	64
1926	313	58	65
1927	367	64	68
1928	1,696	57	88
1929	325	80	89
1930	270	86	92
1931	398	90	96
1932	412	84	98
1933	434	91	101
1934	373	87	101
1935	355	92	101
1936	419	85	101
1937	429	93	102
1938	569	87	105
1939	463	92	106
1940	456	92	106
1941	465	92	106
1942	332	94	110
1943	413	92	112
1944	510	92	111
1945	499	97	111
1946	483	94	111
1947	436	97	111
1948	319	99	111
1949	331	103	111
1950	344	103	111
1951	432	105	111
1952	505	109	120
1953	388	98	105
1954	525	95	103
1955	555	95	100
1956	473	96	100
1957	513	97	100
1958	525	98	101
1959	553	100	101
1960	587	98	100
1961	616	97	101
1962	586	99	101
1963	723	97	102
1964	831	98	107