# I read that Shakespeare did in fact use the name as we spell it today. I'd like to fact-check that. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 13, 2014, 10:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-read-that-shakespeare-did-in-fact-use-the-name-as-we-spell-it-today-id-like-to-fact-check-that/692985 "2014-07-13T10:25:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![davidmich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e56c9b/32.png) [@davidmich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidmich)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2014, 10:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-read-that-shakespeare-did-in-fact-use-the-name-as-we-spell-it-today-id-like-to-fact-check-that/692985/1 "2014-07-13T10:25:51Z")
I read that Shakespeare did in fact use the name as we spell it today. I’d like to fact-check that. I remember reading that Shakespeare had signed his name in 6 different ways. What I didn’t realize was that one of them was in fact Shakespeare as we spell it today. See end of dedication below. I just need to confirm that this is in fact the case. I look forward to your feedback. davidmich > **[Venus and Adonis by Shakespeare](http://www.shakespeare-online.com/sonnets/venus.html)** > > Shakespeare's long poem, from your trusted Shakepeare source. VENUS AND ADONIS ‘Vilia miretur vulgus; mihi flavus Apollo Pocula Castalia plena ministret aqua.’ To the Right Honourable Henry Wriothesley, Earl of Southampton, and Baron of Tichfield. RIGHT HONORABLE, I KNOW not how I shall offend in dedicating my unpolished lines to your lordship, nor how the world will censure me for choosing so strong a prop to support so weak a burden only, if your honour seem but pleased, I account myself highly praised, and vow to take advantage of all idle hours, till I have honoured you with some graver labour. But if the first heir of my invention prove deformed, I shall be sorry it had so noble a god-father, and never after ear so barren a land, for fear it yield me still so bad a harvest. I leave it to your honourable survey, and your honour to your heart’s content; which I wish may always answer your own wish and the world’s hopeful expectation. Your honour’s in all duty, WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE ---
**Author:** ![davidmich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e56c9b/32.png) [@davidmich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidmich)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2014, 10:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-read-that-shakespeare-did-in-fact-use-the-name-as-we-spell-it-today-id-like-to-fact-check-that/692985/2 "2014-07-13T10:36:05Z")
It appears he did use “William Shakespeare”. > **[Shakespeare's handwriting](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Shakespeare%27s_handwriting)** > > William Shakespeare's handwriting is known from six surviving signatures, all of which appear on legal documents. It is believed by many scholars that the three pages of the handwritten manuscript of the play Sir Thomas More are also in William Shakespeare's handwriting. This is based on many studies by a number of scholars that considered handwriting, spelling, vocabulary, literary aspects, and more. > Shakespeare's six extant signatures were written in the style known as secretary hand. It w... The signatures appear as follows: Willm Shakp William Shakspēr Wm Shakspē William Shakspere Willm Shakspere By me William Shakspeare but: > **[Spelling of Shakespeare's name](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spelling_of_Shakespeare%27s_name)** > > The spelling of William Shakespeare's name has varied over time. It was not consistently spelled any single way during his lifetime, in manuscript or in printed form. After his death the name was spelled variously by editors of his work, and the spelling was not fixed until well into the 20th century. > The standard spelling of the surname as "Shakespeare" was the most common published form in Shakespeare's lifetime, but it was not one used in his own handwritten signatures. It was, however, th... The standard spelling of the surname as “Shakespeare” was the most common published form in Shakespeare’s lifetime, but it was not one used in his own handwritten signatures. It was, however, the spelling used by the author as a printed signature to the dedications of the first editions of his poems Venus and Adonis and The Rape of Lucrece. It is also the spelling used in the First Folio, the definitive collection of his plays published in 1623, after his death. So it appears “Shakespeare” appeared in printed form not as a signature. ---
**Author:** ![Isilder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@Isilder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isilder)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2014, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-read-that-shakespeare-did-in-fact-use-the-name-as-we-spell-it-today-id-like-to-fact-check-that/692985/3 "2014-07-13T23:36:35Z")
You cannot trust the spelling of the printed works, as that was recorded and set by someone else… The story of the signatures shows they didn’t really know how to spell it. The spelling was actually determined by the newspapers. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2014, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-read-that-shakespeare-did-in-fact-use-the-name-as-we-spell-it-today-id-like-to-fact-check-that/692985/4 "2014-07-14T01:46:33Z")
I also heard they used to call him \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ for short. Can’t for the life of me remember what that name was though… /Whistles inconspicuously ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2014, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-read-that-shakespeare-did-in-fact-use-the-name-as-we-spell-it-today-id-like-to-fact-check-that/692985/5 "2014-07-14T01:54:13Z")
[Shakespeare’s signature](https://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1857&bih=972&q=william+shakespeare+signature&oq=shakespeare+sig&gs_l=img.1.9.0l9j0i5.1784.10595.0.15453.15.12.0.3.3.0.126.735.10j2.12.0....0...1ac.1.48.img..0.15.748.jzQwBl62htE). Of course, the spelling, of anything, was not particularly standardized in those days. There is probably no single definite right answer, but the spelling we normally use is the one that has been settled on as the best compromise. ---
**Author:** ![davidmich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e56c9b/32.png) [@davidmich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidmich)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2014, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-read-that-shakespeare-did-in-fact-use-the-name-as-we-spell-it-today-id-like-to-fact-check-that/692985/6 "2014-07-15T00:42:57Z")
Thank you all. Very helpful. davidmich ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2014, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-read-that-shakespeare-did-in-fact-use-the-name-as-we-spell-it-today-id-like-to-fact-check-that/692985/7 "2014-07-16T13:22:35Z")
> [@Shakes](#): > > I also heard they used to call him \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ for short. > > Can’t for the life of me remember what that name was though… > /Whistles inconspicuously Marlowe? ---
**Author:** ![DChord568](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@DChord568](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DChord568)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2014, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-read-that-shakespeare-did-in-fact-use-the-name-as-we-spell-it-today-id-like-to-fact-check-that/692985/8 "2014-07-16T14:08:03Z")
> [@davidmich](#): > > It appears he did use “William Shakespeare”. > [Shakespeare's handwriting - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Shakespeare%27s_handwriting) > > The signatures appear as follows: > > Willm Shakp > William Shakspēr > Wm Shakspē > William Shakspere > Willm Shakspere > By me William Shakspeare Hmmm…so it’s only the last spelling that truly makes the amazing Bible coincidence actually “work.” Apologies to all who already know about this, but here’s what you do: 1. Divide the last version above of the spelling of the bard’s name into syllables. 2. You get 4 letters in the first syllable, and 6 in the second one. 3. Get out your King James Bible and turn to Psalm 46. 4. Count in 46 words from the beginning. What is the word? 5. Count backwards 46 words from the end. What is the word? More about this [here](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psalm_46). This entry contains a couple of additional bits I didn’t know about, including that Shakespeare was 46 years old in 1611 when the translation of the King James Bible was completed. ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2014, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-read-that-shakespeare-did-in-fact-use-the-name-as-we-spell-it-today-id-like-to-fact-check-that/692985/9 "2014-07-16T14:28:29Z")
> [@DChord568](#): > > Hmmm…so it’s only the last spelling that truly makes the amazing Bible coincidence actually “work.” > > Apologies to all who already know about this, but here’s what you do: > > 1. Divide the last version above of the spelling of the bard’s name into syllables. > > 2. You get 4 letters in the first syllable, and 6 in the second one. > > 3. Get out your King James Bible and turn to Psalm 46. > > 4. Count in 46 words from the beginning. What is the word? > > 5. Count backwards 46 words from the end. What is the word? 1 OK. Shaks - peare 2 5 in first, 5 in the second 3 Turning to Psalm 55 1. Me 2. With Me with … David? Wow! That means Shakespeare actually met David!