J.K. Rowling’s first name is Joanne. She was born Joanne Rowling on 31 July 1965 in Yate, Gloucestershire, England.
The initial “K” was not part of her birth name. Her publishers asked her to use two initials because they believed some boys might avoid books written by a woman. Rowling chose “K” to honor her paternal grandmother, Kathleen.
She did not have a middle name at birth, so “J.K. Rowling” became her professional pen name. The author later also wrote crime novels under the name Robert Galbraith, keeping that identity separate at first.
The name Joanne is sometimes confused with “Jo,” the author’s informal name, but Joanne is the first name recorded in her biography and on official references.