What was J.K. Rowling’s birth name before she adopted her author initials?

J.K. Rowling was born Joanne Rowling.

She was born on 31 July 1965 at Yate General Hospital near Bristol, England. Her birth certificate records the name Joanne Rowling; the initial “K” was not part of her original name. Rowling later used the initial for Kathleen, her paternal grandmother’s name, when her publisher wanted a pen name with two initials.

Rowling married Neil Murray in 2001, and she has also been known publicly as Joanne Murray. That married surname can cause confusion, but it was not her birth name. “Joanne Kathleen Rowling” is likewise not the name on her birth certificate; Kathleen was added as a professional middle initial. Her best-known author name is therefore a constructed form rather than a direct transcription of her birth name.