Signaling Merit Badge History

Earned through 199687,842

Best year19332,542 earned

All-time popularity#148official, as of 2020#156by 2025 (estimate)

Earned by Year

First earned in 1911. Peak year 1933 with 2,542. Hover over or tap a year for its numbers.

19113 earned#7 of 22

191222 earned#30 of 51

191393 earned#19 of 56

1914131 earned#25 of 58

1915229 earned#19 of 58

1916271 earned#19 of 56

1917487 earned#21 of 58

1918572 earned#21 of 58

1919915 earned#25 of 59

1920799 earned#24 of 59

19211,197 earned#25 of 61

19221,507 earned#26 of 61

19231,477 earned#26 of 63

19241,040 earned#31 of 64

19251,108 earned#34 of 64

19261,703 earned#33 of 65

19271,990 earned#35 of 68

19281,835 earned#54 of 88

19292,281 earned#42 of 89

19302,115 earned#45 of 92

19312,306 earned#51 of 96

19322,215 earned#51 of 98

19332,542 earned#48 of 101

19341,979 earned#54 of 101

19351,941 earned#58 of 101

19361,476 earned#57 of 101

19371,664 earned#60 of 102

19381,522 earned#63 of 105

19391,819 earned#59 of 106

19401,422 earned#65 of 106

19411,147 earned#68 of 106

1942956 earned#72 of 110

19431,061 earned#74 of 112

19441,050 earned#80 of 111

19451,010 earned#79 of 111

1946883 earned#79 of 111

1947721 earned#79 of 111

1948642 earned#81 of 111

1949610 earned#85 of 111

1950612 earned#89 of 111

1951707 earned#90 of 111

1952734 earned#99 of 120

1953766 earned#88 of 105

1954865 earned#89 of 103

1955936 earned#91 of 100

1956917 earned#91 of 100

19571,058 earned#88 of 100

19581,056 earned#88 of 101

19591,202 earned#87 of 101

19601,479 earned#86 of 100

19611,756 earned#83 of 101

19622,049 earned#77 of 101

19631,815 earned#84 of 102

19641,970 earned#81 of 107

19651,660 earned#83 of 109

19661,694 earned#85 of 110

19671,834 earned#86 of 112

19681,392 earned#97 of 112

19691,584 earned#93 of 113

19701,725 earned#91 of 113

19711,382 earned#98 of 113

19721,486 earned#107 of 124

19731,362 earned#104 of 122

19741,848 earned#114 of 121

19751,451 earned#118 of 128

19761,647 earned#115 of 130

19771,377 earned#117 of 130

19781,295 earned#114 of 131

1979131 earned#119 of 132

1980581 earned#113 of 132

1981707 earned#118 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

1993No data available

1994No data available

1995No data available

199623 earned#129 of 134

Known count No data available

"—" means merit badges were earned that year but the exact number is not currently known. "#129 of 134" means the badge was number 129 of the 134 merit badges earned that year. 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.

19113#7 of 22

191222#30 of 51

191393#19 of 56

1914131#25 of 58

1915229#19 of 58

1916271#19 of 56

1917487#21 of 58

1918572#21 of 58

1919915#25 of 59

1920799#24 of 59

19211,197#25 of 61

19221,507#26 of 61

19231,477#26 of 63

19241,040#31 of 64

19251,108#34 of 64

19261,703#33 of 65

19271,990#35 of 68

19281,835#54 of 88

19292,281#42 of 89

19302,115#45 of 92

19312,306#51 of 96

19322,215#51 of 98

19332,542#48 of 101

19341,979#54 of 101

19351,941#58 of 101

19361,476#57 of 101

19371,664#60 of 102

19381,522#63 of 105

19391,819#59 of 106

19401,422#65 of 106

19411,147#68 of 106

1942956#72 of 110

19431,061#74 of 112

19441,050#80 of 111

19451,010#79 of 111

1946883#79 of 111

1947721#79 of 111

1948642#81 of 111

1949610#85 of 111

1950612#89 of 111

1951707#90 of 111

1952734#99 of 120

1953766#88 of 105

1954865#89 of 103

1955936#91 of 100

1956917#91 of 100

19571,058#88 of 100

19581,056#88 of 101

19591,202#87 of 101

19601,479#86 of 100

19611,756#83 of 101

19622,049#77 of 101

19631,815#84 of 102

19641,970#81 of 107

19651,660#83 of 109

19661,694#85 of 110

19671,834#86 of 112

19681,392#97 of 112

19691,584#93 of 113

19701,725#91 of 113

19711,382#98 of 113

19721,486#107 of 124

19731,362#104 of 122

19741,848#114 of 121

19751,451#118 of 128

19761,647#115 of 130

19771,377#117 of 130

19781,295#114 of 131

1979131#119 of 132

1980581#113 of 132

1981707#118 of 134

1982—

1983—

1984—

1985—

1986—

1987—

1988—

1989—

1990—

1991—

1992—

1993—

1994—

1995—

199623#129 of 134

Grand total through 1996:

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.

Signaling: workbook data

Printings (69)

Have	Year	Month	Cover	Run	©	HC	Notes
c	1919		1B-1				Address of President Woodrow Wilson to the National Council on page ii, followed by and introduction on pages iii and iv. Pages v, vi, vii, viii and ix present information for Applications, Local Authorities, The Examination, Court of Honor Procedure, Presentation of Awards, and Special Scout Awards. Page x list the merit badge requirements
x	1919		1B-1		1919		1A hb 20th edition reference
	1920	not made
	1921	not made
	1922	not made
x	1923		2		1923		15c Radio
x	1924		2		1924		20c Radio
c	1925		3A over 2				1924 printing
x	1925		3A
x	1926		3A
c	1927		3A
x	1928		3B
	1929	not made
	1930	January	3B
x	1930	March	3B
	1930	April	3B
x	1930	October	3B		1930
c	1931	March	3B		1930
x	1932	February	3B	1M	1930
c	1933	January	3B	1M	1930
x	1934	April	3B	1M	1930
c	1935	February	3B	1M	1930
x	1935	November	3B	1M	1930
x	1936	August	3C	1M	1930
x	1937	May	3B	2M
x	1937	May	3C	2M
x	1938	October	3D	1M
x	1939	March	3D	1M
x	1940	March	3D	2M	1940
c	1941	February	4	2M	1940
x	1942	February	4	3M	1940	HCB
x	1942	December	4	5M	1940
	1943	not made
x	1944	April	5A	4M	1940
x	1945	January	5B	5.5M	1940
x	1945	October	5B	4M	1940
x	1946	October	5B	4M	1940
	1947	not made
	1948	not made
x	1949	January	5B	3M	1940
x	1950	May	5B	3M	1940
	1951	March	5B	3M	1940
x	1951	September	5B	4M	1940
x	1952	June	6	5M	1940
x	1953	May	6	7M	1940
x	1954	May	6	7M	1940	HCJV1
x	1955	April	6	10M	1940
x	1956	March	6	10M	1940
x	1957	February	6	12M	1940
x	1958	January	6	12M	1940
x	1959	January	6	12M	1940	HCJV1
x	1960	January	6	12M	1940
x	1960	September	6	12M	1940
x	1961	December	6	12M	1940	HCJV2
x	1962	October	6	13M	1940
x	1963	November	6	12M	1940
x	1964	June	6	14M	1940	HCL, HCP
	1965	not made
x	1966	July	7	15M	1940
x	1967	December	7	13M	1940
x	1968	November	7	14M	1940
c	1969		7		1940
x	1970	August	7	14M	1940
	1971	not made
x	1972	March	7	8M		HCL, HCLM, HCSV2
	1973	not made
x	1974	January	8A-1	10M	1974	HCT
x	1975	December	8A-2	5M	1974	HCT
	1976	not made
x	1977	March	8A-2	4.5M	1974
x	1978	April	8A-2	3.5M	1974
x	1979	October	9	3M	1974
	1980	not made
x	1981	January	9	3M	1974
	1982	not made
x	1983	May	9	2.7M	1974
x	1984	January	9	4M	1974
	1985	not made
x	1986	January	9	2.5M	1974
x	1986	November	9	2.5M	1974
	1987	not made
x	1988	January	9	2.5M	1974
x	1988	July	9	3M
x	1989	September	9	3.5M
	1990	not made
	1991	not made

Earned and rank by year

Year	Earned	Rank	Of
1911	3	7	22
1912	22	30	51
1913	93	19	56
1914	131	25	58
1915	229	19	58
1916	271	19	56
1917	487	21	58
1918	572	21	58
1919	915	25	59
1920	799	24	59
1921	1,197	25	61
1922	1,507	26	61
1923	1,477	26	63
1924	1,040	31	64
1925	1,108	34	64
1926	1,703	33	65
1927	1,990	35	68
1928	1,835	54	88
1929	2,281	42	89
1930	2,115	45	92
1931	2,306	51	96
1932	2,215	51	98
1933	2,542	48	101
1934	1,979	54	101
1935	1,941	58	101
1936	1,476	57	101
1937	1,664	60	102
1938	1,522	63	105
1939	1,819	59	106
1940	1,422	65	106
1941	1,147	68	106
1942	956	72	110
1943	1,061	74	112
1944	1,050	80	111
1945	1,010	79	111
1946	883	79	111
1947	721	79	111
1948	642	81	111
1949	610	85	111
1950	612	89	111
1951	707	90	111
1952	734	99	120
1953	766	88	105
1954	865	89	103
1955	936	91	100
1956	917	91	100
1957	1,058	88	100
1958	1,056	88	101
1959	1,202	87	101
1960	1,479	86	100
1961	1,756	83	101
1962	2,049	77	101
1963	1,815	84	102
1964	1,970	81	107
1965	1,660	83	109
1966	1,694	85	110
1967	1,834	86	112
1968	1,392	97	112
1969	1,584	93	113
1970	1,725	91	113
1971	1,382	98	113
1972	1,486	107	124
1973	1,362	104	122
1974	1,848	114	121
1975	1,451	118	128
1976	1,647	115	130
1977	1,377	117	130
1978	1,295	114	131
1979	131	119	132
1980	581	113	132
1981	707	118	134
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996	23	129	134