J.K. Rowling’s first name at birth was Joanne.
She was born Joanne Rowling on 31 July 1965 at Yate General Hospital near Bristol, England. Her parents were Peter Rowling and Anne Rowling, and she grew up partly in Gloucestershire and partly near Chepstow in Wales.
Rowling used the initials “J.K.” when Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone was published. The “K” was not part of her birth name: her publisher asked for two initials, and she chose Kathleen, her paternal grandmother’s name. This is why references may describe her as Joanne Rowling, J.K. Rowling, or Jo Rowling, while all three names refer to the same author.