J.K. Rowling’s first name is Joanne. She was born Joanne Rowling on 31 July 1965 in Yate, Gloucestershire, England, and later became internationally known by her initials rather than by her full first name.
The “K” in J.K. Rowling does not represent a second given name that she was born with. Her publishers wanted a name that might appeal broadly to young readers, and Rowling adopted the initial K in honor of her paternal grandmother, Kathleen. She has also used the pen name Robert Galbraith for crime fiction.
A common mix-up is calling her “Joan Rowling” or assuming that “Katherine” is part of her legal birth name. Her published author name is J.K. Rowling, while her full birth name is Joanne Rowling. The author has also published under the married name Joanne Murray, but Rowling remains the name most closely associated with Harry Potter and its worldwide publication history.