1980s
- 1980: Edith Bolte, Rachel Cleland, Miriam Dell, Phyllis Friend, Margaret Guilfoyle, Ida Mann, Raigh Roe, Cicely Saunders, The Baroness Soames, Ann Springman
- 1981: Beryl Beaurepaire, Margaret Blackwood, Mary Bridges, Whina Cooper, Pamela Hunter, Celia Johnson, Ruby Litchfield, Betty Paterson, The Baroness Pike, Shelagh Roberts, Margaret Scott
- 1982: Doris Fitton, Elisabeth Frink, Catherine Hall, Roma Mitchell, Kiri Te Kanawa, Alice Wedega, Ida Yonge
- 1983: The Marchioness of Anglesey, Rosamund Holland-Martin, Leonie Kramer, Olga Uvarov
- 1984: The Baroness Seccombe, Guinevere Tilney, Catherine Tizard, The Baroness Warnock
- 1985: Jean Herbison, The Baroness Jenkins of Hillhead, Jill Knight, Alison Munro, Joan Varley
- 1986: Vivienne Boyd, Peggy Fenner, Dorothea Horsman, Christian Howard, Gwyneth Jones, Merle Park, Simone Prendergast, Barbara Shenfield, Rosa Tokiel
- 1987: Elizabeth Chesterton, Marie Clay, Dorothy Fraser, Penelope Jessel, Mary Kekedo, Elizabeth Maconchy, Joan Metge, Iris Murdoch, Sheila Quinn
- 1988: Barbara Clayton, Judi Dench, Beryl Grey, Rosalinde Hurley, Elaine Kellett-Bowman, Margaret Salas
- 1989: Silvia Cartwright, The Baroness Dunn, The Baroness Emerton, The Baroness Fookes, Margaret Fry, Barbara Goodman, Rosemary Rue
Read more about this topic: List Of Dames Commander Of The Order Of The British Empire