Skip to content
TrueNorthBriefQuick, clear answers for curious Canadians
People

Anne Hathaway (Wife Of Shakespeare)

What is anne hathaway (wife of shakespeare)?

· Sarah Mitchell

Key facts

Name Anne Hathaway[1]
Spouse William Shakespeare[1]
Marriage date November 1582[1]
Death date 6 August 1623[1]
Death place Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England[1]

Anne Hathaway was the wife of William Shakespeare. She married him in November 1582 and died on 6 August 1623 in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. She is identified in reference works as Shakespeare's wife, and they had three children together.

Context

Anne Hathaway was the wife of William Shakespeare, the English poet, playwright, and actor. She married him in November 1582, and their daughter Susanna was born the following May [2]. They had three children: Susanna, Judith, and Hamnet [2]. Her gravestone inscription states she was Shakespeare's wife and died on 6 August 1623, aged 67 [1]. She died in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England [1].

Documented claims

  • Anne Hathaway was the wife of William Shakespeare, as described in Encyclopaedia Britannica. [2]
  • Shakespeare married her when he was 18 and she was 26. [2]
  • They had three children: Susanna, Judith, and Hamnet. [2]

Questions and answers

Why was Shakespeare's wife called Anne Hathaway?

Her maiden name was Hathaway, and she was known as Anne Hathaway after her marriage to William Shakespeare [1].

What was unusual about Shakespeare's marriage to Anne Hathaway?

Shakespeare was 18 and Anne was 26 when they married in November 1582, an age gap that was notable for the time [2].

Was Anne Hathaway actor named after Shakespeare's wife?

The sources do not state whether the actress Anne Hathaway was named after Shakespeare's wife.

Sources

  1. New discoveries about the Shakespeare marriage — folger.edu (retrieved August 3, 2026)
  2. Anne Hathaway: Shakepeare's Mysterious Muse - Factinate — factinate.com (retrieved August 3, 2026)

Sources last checked August 3, 2026. · More in People