What is J.K. Rowling’s middle name, according to biographies of the author?
Answer
She has no middle name
J.K. Rowling has no middle name. She was born Joanne Rowling, and the “K” in her professional name was added at her publisher’s suggestion rather than taken from a legal middle name.
The letter K stands for Kathleen, the first name of Rowling’s paternal grandmother. Rowling adopted the initials J.K. before publication of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone because Bloomsbury believed a name with two initials might appeal broadly, particularly to boys who might otherwise avoid a book by a woman author.
Her legal and professional naming history creates a common mix-up: “Kathleen” is connected to the pen name but is not Rowling’s middle name. She later married and has also been known as Joanne Murray and Joanne Rowling, but “J.K. Rowling” remains her best-known author identity.