No one knows how William Shakespeare’s name was really spelled—and neither did he
For every tidbit of info we know about William Shakespeare’s life, there are just as many that we don’t. And one thing historians aren’t too sure about is how Shakespeare’s name was actually spelled.
Frankly, he didn’t seem too sure either. The Bard himself used variations of his moniker such as Willm Shakp, Willm Shakspere, and William Shakspeare.
His contemporaries spelled it more than 80 different ways too, including “Shappere” to “Chamber.” It turns out, the man never used “William Shakespeare” once, despite the fact that it’s become the accepted spelling of his name.