What is J.K. Rowling’s middle initial K said to honour?

J.K. Rowling’s middle initial K honours her paternal grandmother, Kathleen.

Rowling was born Joanne Rowling, without a recorded middle name. When preparing for publication, she adopted the name J.K. Rowling, adding K in tribute to her paternal grandmother. The chosen professional name therefore combines her own first initial with a family reference.

The initial was not originally a hidden middle name that had been omitted from biographies. That is a frequent misunderstanding because “J.K.” looks like two initials in a conventional full name. Rowling’s birth name was Joanne Rowling.

The choice also helped create the author name used on the Harry Potter books. The publisher’s presentation of the initials gave the books a distinctive byline while leaving the author’s gender less immediately obvious to prospective readers.