Hundreds of those in the 2003 Queen's Birthday Honours List are ordinary people including teachers, school crossing wardens - and a tea lady.
Isa Allan, appointed an MBE for services to Scottish Enterprise
More than 500 of the people appointed MBEs, OBEs or CBEs were nominated by members of the public - a record 52% to have done so.
"The key aim has been to reward those who work at the
sharp end," said a Downing Street spokesman.
Isa Allan, 62, who has served as the tea lady at economic development agency Scottish Enterprise for 18 years, was nominated for an MBE by the corporation's chairman, Sir Ian Robinson.
He called her the "heart and soul" of the corporation.
'Stunned and amazed'
"She is adored by members of staff - she knows each of them and makes each member of staff feel they are being treated as an individual," he said.
"She also has a real talent for being a sympathetic ear to turn to - often giving up her own time outside work to do this.
"Indeed she is unique in that she will often be the person staff can turn to find out what's going on in the organisation."
Mrs Allan said she was "stunned and amazed" to become an MBE, adding: "All I do is treat everyone as if they were a member of my own family."
Among other ordinary people to be appointed an MBE were school caretaker Mrs Carol Davis, who works at Bulphan Primary School in Thurrock, Essex.
Mary Bernadette Munden, a nursery nurse at Claremont School in Bristol, was honoured for her services to special needs education.
And Helen White was named in the list for her work as a school crossing warden in Christchurch, Dorset.
A vicar and his wife were both appointed for their work with refugees in the Sighthill area of Glasgow.
The Reverend Edward Jones, former Minister, St Rollox Parish Church,
Sighthill, Glasgow and his wife Elspeth became MBEs "for services to race and community relations and asylum
Among ordinary people to be appointed the higher-ranking OBE were Caroline James, a staff nurse at Frenchay Hospital in Bristol.
Roger Alston, head of William Howard School in Brampton, Cumbria, was appointed for his work in teaching - as were several other school heads including Andrew Carter of South Farnham Community Junior School in Surrey.
Dr James Cox, a GP in Wigton, Cumbria, became an OBE for his services to medicine.
More headteachers were honoured in the even more prestigious CBEs list, including Adrian Williams of Bury St. Edmunds County Upper School in Suffolk.
Mrs Bushra Khanum Nasir, the head of Plashet School in Newham, also became a CBE.
And so did Judith McClure, head of St George's School for Girls in Edinburgh - for her services to education in Scotland.