Shakespeare used no fewer than six different signatures in his lifetime, and possibly many more. The signatures which can be confirmed as his, from legal documents, spell his name very differently. Some, such as Willm Shakp, are just abbreviations of his name. But amongst the full versions, the most common surname is Shakesper or Shakespere. Other versions thought to refer to him include Shexpere, Shackspere and Shaxspe. He was most commonly referred to as Shakespeare in his lifetime, but its likely he went under many pseudonyms, and he was certainly unclear on the spelling. Factor in the different pronunciation back then and its possible that were saying his name in completely the wrong way.
