J.K. Rowling’s first name in her birth name is Joanne.
She was born Joanne Rowling on 31 July 1965 in Yate, Gloucestershire, England. The initial “K” was added later for publishing purposes rather than being part of her birth name.
Rowling has explained that her publisher believed a book by a woman might not appeal equally to boys, so the publisher asked for two initials instead of a clearly feminine first name. Rowling chose “K” in honor of her paternal grandmother, Kathleen.
A common mix-up is assuming that Rowling’s legal birth name was “Joanne Kathleen Rowling.” Kathleen was added as a middle name when she adopted the pen name J.K. Rowling. She later married and has also been known as Joanne Murray and Joanne Rowling Arantes at different times.