SHAKESPEARE
SHAYK-speer
An English surname turned literary name, ultimately pointing to a maker or brandisher of spears.
Meaning
Shakespeare is best known as an English surname, not a traditional given name. It is usually understood as an occupational or descriptive surname built from Old English elements meaning something like “to shake” and “spear,” often interpreted as a spear-wielding or spear-brandishing person. As a given name, it is used much more rarely and mainly as a modern honorific or literary choice.
Origin
Old Englishvaries by culture
Fun fact
The name is overwhelmingly famous because of William Shakespeare, so most people hear it first as a surname rather than a first name.
Confidence: pattern inferred. Sources: based on general naming-pattern knowledge.