J.K. Rowling’s full first name, as given at birth, is Joanne. She was born Joanne Rowling on 31 July 1965 in Yate, Gloucestershire, England.
The initials in her author name do not represent a conventional middle name. Rowling has explained that her publishers wanted a name that might appeal broadly to young readers, including boys, and she adopted “J.K.” before the publication of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.
The “K” was chosen in honour of her paternal grandmother, Kathleen. Rowling’s birth name was therefore Joanne Rowling, although she is internationally known by the initials J.K. Rowling. Some biographies also discuss her later use of the surname Murray after marriage, but that does not change the name under which her books were published.
Her author identity became especially prominent after Bloomsbury released the first Harry Potter novel in 1997. The initials soon became associated with one of the best-known modern fantasy authors.