J.K. Rowling received the honorific OBE in 2001.
She was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the 2001 Birthday Honours for services to children's literature. OBE is the abbreviation for Officer of the Order of the British Empire, and it is written after a recipient's name as post-nominal letters.
The honor was awarded during the period when the Harry Potter books were rapidly expanding their international readership. Rowling had published the first four novels by the end of 2000, with Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire appearing that year.
OBE is not the same rank as MBE or CBE. Within the order, MBE is a lower grade and CBE a higher grade than OBE. The award recognizes service; it does not mean Rowling was given a hereditary title or made a member of the peerage.