Order Rank
Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE)
A senior rank within the Order of the British Empire, conferring the title Dame.
DBE
Awarded over time
Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) appointments by year, split by honours list.
honoria.co.ukHonours rounds
The rounds behind the chart - open one to see the recipients.
- 2026New Year (14) · Birthday (17)
- 2025New Year (13) · Birthday (16)
- 2024New Year (15) · Birthday (18)
- 2023New Year (13) · Birthday (10)
- 2022New Year (15) · Birthday (14)
- 2021New Year (11) · Birthday (14)
- 2020New Year (16) · Birthday (12)
- 2019New Year (10) · Birthday (8)
- 2018New Year (13) · Birthday (11)
- 2017New Year (11) · Birthday (14)
- 2016New Year (14) · Birthday (13)
- 2015New Year (21) · Birthday (7)
- 2014New Year (20) · Birthday (9)
- 2013New Year (13) · Birthday (12)
- 2012New Year (7) · Birthday (9)
- 2011New Year (11) · Birthday (8)
- 2010New Year (6) · Birthday (11)
- 2009New Year (6) · Birthday (8)
- 2008New Year (7) · Birthday (9)
- 2007New Year (7) · Birthday (5)
- 2006New Year (6) · Birthday (5)
- 2005New Year (4) · Birthday (2)
- 2004New Year (8) · Birthday (6)
- 2003New Year (3) · Birthday (7)
- 2002New Year (3) · Birthday (3)
- 2001New Year (6) · Birthday (9)
- 2000Birthday (8)
Topics
All topicsThe topics most recognised among Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) recipients, sized by number of people. Click a tile to explore.
Topics by number of recipients
A ranked list of every topic recognised among Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) recipients is available below - show it to browse and filter the full set.
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two of which make the recipient either a knight if male or a dame if female. There is also the related British Empire Medal, whose recipients are affiliated with the order, but are not members of it.
Background from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
About this honour
The Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) recognises major national achievement or service. It was established in 1917 by King George V, and is conferred by the British Crown.
It is awarded to individuals with significant national impact, recognising impact at national level, in areas such as leadership, public service and major achievement.
Candidates are put forward through public nominations, assessed by the honours committee and approved by the Sovereign. Appointments are announced in the New Year Honours and the King's Birthday Honours. Recipients are invested at a royal ceremony.
Recipients take the formal title “Dame”. Recipients may use the post-nominal letters DBE. Recipients wear the badge, star, sash. In the order of precedence it sits above commander (CBE) and below Dame Grand Cross (GBE).
It signifies major national achievement, representing excellence, leadership and service.
Recipients
538 people in the record. Filter by name, citation, year, region or theme.
538 people
Malorie Blackman
PersonDame Commander Of The Order Of The British Empire · 2026
London, Greater London
“For services to Literature.”
Julia Catherine Donaldson
PersonDame Commander Of The Order Of The British Empire · 2026
Horsham, West Sussex
“For services to Literature.”
Dr Carol Homden
PersonDame Commander Of The Order Of The British Empire · 2026
London, Greater London
“For services to Children and Families.”
Shelagh Jane Legrave
PersonDame Commander Of The Order Of The British Empire · 2026
Chichester, West Sussex
“For services to Education.”
Meena Upadhyaya
PersonDame Commander Of The Order Of The British Empire · 2026
Cardiff, South Glamorgan
“For services to Community Cohesion in Wales and to Medical Genetics.”
Wendy Carlin
PersonDame Commander Of The Order Of The British Empire · 2026
Oxford, Oxfordshire
“For services to Economics.”
Fiona Rayment
PersonDame Commander Of The Order Of The British Empire · 2026
Salford, Greater Manchester
“For services to Nuclear Engineering.”
Crystal Oldman
PersonDame Commander Of The Order Of The British Empire · 2026
Crowborough, East Sussex
“For services to Nursing.”
Carol Brayne
PersonDame Commander Of The Order Of The British Empire · 2026
Cambridge, Cambridgeshire
“For services to Medicine, Medical Research and Public Health.”
Polina Bayvel
PersonDame Commander Of The Order Of The British Empire · 2026
London, Greater London
“For services to Engineering and to Optical Communications.”
Lorna Dawson
PersonDame Commander Of The Order Of The British Empire · 2026
Aberdeen, City of Aberdeen
“For services to Innovations in Soil and Forensic Science.”
Suzannah Lishman
PersonDame Commander Of The Order Of The British Empire · 2026
Rutland
“For services to the Medical Examiner System and to Patient Safety.”
Hayaatun Sillem
PersonDame Commander Of The Order Of The British Empire · 2026
London, Greater London
“For services to Engineering.”
Anna Taylor
PersonDame Commander Of The Order Of The British Empire · 2026
Canterbury, Kent
“For services to Reforming the Food System.”
Sumeshni Tranka
PersonDame Commander Of The Order Of The British Empire · 2026
Ross on Wye, Herefordshire
“For services to Nursing.”
Jessica Morden
PersonDame Commander Of The Order Of The British Empire · 2026
Newport, Gwent
“For Political and Public Service.”
Serena Kennedy
PersonDame Commander Of The Order Of The British Empire · 2026
Wigan, Greater Manchester
“For services to Policing.”
Sarah Hackman
PersonDame Commander Of The Order Of The British Empire · 2026
Dundee, City of Dundee
“For services to Forensic Anthropology and Disaster Victim Identification.”
Melanie Hall (melanie Jane Davies)
PersonDame Commander Of The Order Of The British Empire · 2026
Leicester, Leicestershire
“For services to Global Diabetes Research, Policy and Care Management.”
Helen Gordon
PersonDame Commander Of The Order Of The British Empire · 2026
London, Greater London
“For services to the Property Industry.”
Heather Stevens
PersonDame Commander Of The Order Of The British Empire · 2026
Vale of Glamorgan, South Glamorgan
“For services to the Environment, to Young People and to Philanthropy in Wales.”
Jane Fraser
PersonDame Commander Of The Order Of The British Empire · 2026
Abroad
“For services to the Financial Sector.”
Beverly Lindsay
PersonDame Commander Of The Order Of The British Empire · 2026
Birmingham, West Midlands
“For services to the West Midlands and to Charity.”
Sheila Bird
PersonDame Commander Of The Order Of The British Empire · 2026
Kettering, Northamptonshire
“For services to Statistics.”
Linked data
The second grade of the Order of the British Empire for women, conferring a damehood; recipients are styled Dame and use the post-nominal DBE. Men receive the equivalent grade of Knight Commander (KBE).
- Post-nominal
- DBE
- Wikidata
- Q12201434
- The Gazette ontology
- gaz:DameCommanderOrderOfTheBritishEmpire
From the Honoria honours vocabulary (SKOS). exactMatch = Wikidata; closeMatch = The Gazette honours ontology (official but a 2008–2015 beta).
Related honours
- Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)CBE
- Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (CVO)CVO
- Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG)CMG
- Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB)CB
- Companion of the Order of the Companions of Honour (CH)CH
- Dame Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (DCMG)DCMG