signature

thumb|300px| John Hancock's signature is the most prominent on the [[United States Declaration of Independence and the Articles of Confederation. The name "John Hancock" or just "Hancock" has become a synonym for "signature" in the United States.]]

A signature (; from , "to sign") is a depiction of someone's name, nickname, or even a simple "X" or other mark that a person writes on documents as a proof of identity and intent. Signatures are often, but not always, handwritten or stylized. The writer of a signature is a signatory or signer. A signature may be confused with an autograph, which is chiefly an artistic signature. This can lead to confusion when people have both an autograph and signature and as such some people in the public eye keep their signatures private whilst fully publishing their autograph.