J.K. Rowling’s mother Anne’s original surname was Volant.
Anne Rowling was born Anne Volant and later married Peter Rowling. Rowling has discussed her close relationship with her mother and the effect of Anne’s death from multiple sclerosis in 1990. Anne’s illness and death influenced Rowling’s life during the period when she was developing ideas for Harry Potter.
The surname is also relevant to the author’s family history because Rowling’s maternal grandparents were French. Rowling’s middle initial “K” does not stand for her mother’s surname, however. Rowling was born Joanne Rowling and adopted the initial K for Kathleen, her paternal grandmother, when her publisher requested a second initial for the author name.
Anne Volant should not be confused with Kathleen Rowling, whose first name supplied the “K” in J.K. Rowling. The two women were relatives in different generations and contributed different names to Rowling’s public identity and family history.