What was J.K. Rowling’s birth name before she became known as J.K. Rowling?

J.K. Rowling’s birth name was Joanne Rowling.

She was born Joanne Rowling on 31 July 1965 at Yate General Hospital near Bristol, England. The author has said that she did not originally have a middle name. The initial “K” in her professional name was added at her publisher’s request before publication of the first Harry Potter book, because the publisher believed a gender-neutral name might appeal to boys.

The “K” stood for Kathleen, the name of Rowling’s paternal grandmother. Rowling therefore became known publicly as J.K. Rowling, even though Kathleen was not part of her birth name. After marrying Neil Murray, she was also known for a period as Joanne Murray, but that married name is not her birth name. These naming details explain several common but distinct versions of her name.