J.K. Rowling's kids: a glimpse into the family behind the author

J.K. Rowling's kids: a glimpse into the family behind the author

J.K. Rowling’s kids are Mackenzie Jean Rowling, Jessica Isabel, and David Gordon. Rowling keeps her children largely out of public view. However, her years as a single mother have drawn public interest.

J.K. Rowling posing in a black dress and Jessica Arantes holding her child
J.K. Rowling posing in a black dress with one hand on her waist (L). Jessica Arantes posing while holding her child (R). Photo: @jkrowlingweb, @jessicaarantes on Instagram (modified by author)
Source: UGC

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Key takeaways

  • J.K. Rowling has three children.
  • Her firstborn, Jessica, was born from her marriage to Jorge Arantes, whom Jessica divorced in 1993.
  • She had her two younger children from her second marriage to Neil Murray.
  • The author raised her first child as a single mother from 1993, when she was five months old.

Profile summary

Full nameJoanne Kathleen Rowling
GenderFemale
Date of birth31 July 1965
Age60 years old (as of 2025)
Zodiac signLeo
Place of birthYate, United Kingdom
Current residenceScotland
NationalityBritish
EthnicityMixed
SexualityStraight
Height in feet5'5''
Height in centimetres165
Hair colourBrunette
Eye colourBlue
MotherAnne Volant Rowling
FatherPeter Rowling
Siblings1
Marital statusMarried
HusbandNeil Murray
Children3
SchoolSt Michael’s Primary School,Wyedean School and College
CollegeUniversity of Exeter
ProfessionAuthor, philanthropist
Facebook@jkrowling
X (Twitter)@jk_rowling

Read also

Ellen Pompeo's kids and their father: Meet the star's family

J.K. Rowling’s kids: Her life as a mother

The British author has raised her children out of the limelight. Below is what is known about her three children.

Jessica Isabel Rowling Arantes

Jessica Isabel wearing a green top and posing while holding a glass
Jessica Isabel posing in a green top (L). Jessica Isabel posing while holding a glass (R). Photo: @jessicaarantes on Instagram (modified by author)
Source: UGC
  • Full name: Jessica Isabel Rowling Arantes
  • Date of birth: 27 July 1993
  • Age: 32 years old (as of 2025)
  • Place of birth: Porto, Portugal

Jessica is her firstborn child. She was born on 27 July 1993 in Porto, Portugal. According to The Guardian, J.K. Rowling named her daughter after Jessica Mitford, an author whose autobiography she read as a teenager.

The author had Jessica from her first marriage to Jorge Arantes. She divorced her then-husband when Jessica was five months old, and she raised her as a single mother. After the divorce, J.K. Rowling moved to Edinburgh, Scotland, with her daughter, where she raised her.

The famous author revealed in the Gingerbread article that her daughter was conceived and born when she was married, but the marriage failed, and she had to struggle raising her by herself.

Read also

Pamela Anderson's spouses and boyfriends: A timeline of her romances

My much-wanted daughter had been conceived and born while I was married, but the failure of that relationship saw me living shortly afterwards on state benefits in the coldest winter Scotland had seen in quite a few years. I had been living in sunny Portugal prior to my return to the UK, and the snow was merely the first shock to my system.

Jessica has a close relationship with her mother. Despite the challenges she faced when raising Jessica, Rowling said that her daughter once told her she never felt they were poor when her mother was raising her alone. All she remembered was that she was happy.

I never knew we were poor. I just remember being happy.

Jessica is a social media influencer. She promotes swimsuit brands such as Mad Mermaid bikinis on Instagram. She also shares updates on her weight loss journey.

According to an Instagram post she shared on 23 November 2024, Jessica is engaged to André Frias, and they have two children.

Read also

Meet Michelle The Valley, and her journey as she rose to the spotlight

2. David Gordon Rowling Murray

  • Full name: David Gordon Rowling Murray
  • Date of birth: 24 March 2003
  • Age: 22 years old (as of 2025)
  • Place of birth: Edinburgh, Scotland

David Gordon Rowling Murray is the author’s second child and the first child from her marriage to Neil Murray. He was born on 24 March 2003 in Edinburgh, Scotland. David lives a private life, despite his mother being famous.

3. Mackenzie Jean Rowling Murray

  • Full name: Mackenzie Jean Rowling Murray
  • Date of birth: 23 January 2005
  • Age: 20 years old (as of 2025)
  • Place of birth: Edinburgh, Scotland

Mackenzie Jean Rowling Murray is her youngest child and the second child from her marriage to Neil Murray. She was born on 23 January 2005. She has kept away from the public eye, and therefore, not much is known about her personal life.

Was J.K. Rowling a single mom?

Read also

Meet Eva Longoria's sisters: Esmeralda, Elizabeth and Emily Longoria

J.K. Rowling in New York City
J.K. Rowling during the premiere of Finding the Way Home at Hudson Yards on 11 December 2019 in New York City. Photo: Taylor Hill
Source: Getty Images

The author was a single mom from the time she divorced her first husband in 1993 until she remarried in 2001. She raised her first child, Jessica, as a single mother in Scotland, where she lived with her sister.

According to Gingerbread, she revealed that she is prouder of her years as a single mother than any part of her life.

I would say to any single parent currently feeling the weight of stereotype or stigmatisation that I am prouder of my years as a single mother than of any other part of my life.

The author faced hardships as a single mom raising her daughter, especially financial difficulties. She wanted the best for her daughter and did not want her to grow up in poverty.

J.K. Rowling faced stigmatisation as a single parent. She wrote on the Gingerbread website about a woman who referred to her as ‘the unmarried mother,’ but she did not let that pull her down.

Read also

The rise of Anna Banner from beauty queen to influential Nollywood actress

The author says that her experience as a single parent motivated her to join Gingerbread. She is the president of Gingerbread, a charity for single-parent families which provides support for single mothers and fathers.

J.K Rowling during the premiere of Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes Of Grindelwald
J.K Rowling during the UK Premiere of Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes Of Grindelwald at Cineworld Leicester Square on 13 November 2018 in London, England. Photo: Samir Hussein
Source: Getty Images

FAQs

  1. Who is J.K. Rowling? She is a British author and philanthropist, widely known as the author of the Harry Potter series.
  2. How old is J.K. Rowling? She is 60 years old as of 2025. The author was born on 31 July 1965.
  3. Does J.K. Rowling have any children? She has two daughters and one son.
  4. Who is J.K. Rowling's eldest daughter? Her eldest daughter is Jessica Isabel Rowling Arantes.
  5. Who is J.K. Rowling's husband now? She is married to Neil Murray. The two tied the knot in 2001.
  6. Is J.K. Rowling married? She is married to Dr Neil Murray.
  7. When did J.K. Rowling give birth to her first child? She had her first child on 27 July 1993.
  8. How many times has J.K. Rowling been married? She has been married twice. Her first marriage to Jorge Arantes ended in 1993. She remarried Neil Murray in 2001, who is her current partner.

Read also

Who is Eve Hewson's husband? Exploring her romantic relationships over the years

J.K. Rowling has three children. Her first daughter is from her marriage to Jorge Arantes, which ended in 1993. Her other two children are from her second marriage to her current partner, Neil Murray. Despite her fame, J.K. Rowling’s kids have stayed out of the spotlight.

Legit.ng recently published an article about Jordyn Huitema’s relationship history. She is a Canadian football player. Jordyn Huitema was born to her parents, Roger and Julie Huitema, on Mercer Island, King County, Washington, United States of America.

The football player has been in a few relationships. Her longest relationship was with Bayern Munich’s player Alphonso Davies. She is currently dating Julio Rodríguez, an American baseball player. Find out more about who she has dated.

Proofreading by Kola Muhammed, copy editor at Legit.ng.

Source: Legit.ng

Authors:
Brian Oroo avatar

Brian Oroo (Lifestyle writer) Brian has worked as a writer at Legit.ng since 2021. He specialises in lifestyle, celebrity, and news content. He won the Writer of the Year Award at Legit in both 2023 and 2024. Brian holds a BSc in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), earned in 2021. He completed the AFP course on Digital Investigation Techniques in 2023 and the Google News Initiative course in 2024. His email is brianoroo533@gmail.com