Which signer wrote his name largest on the Declaration of Independence?

John Hancock wrote his name largest on the Declaration of Independence. As president of the Second Continental Congress, Hancock signed the engrossed parchment prominently beneath the document’s text, making his bold signature instantly recognizable.

Hancock’s signature became so famous that “John Hancock” later became an American synonym for a person’s signature. The popular story that Hancock deliberately wrote large so King George III could read it is colorful, but historians generally treat it as an anecdote rather than securely documented fact.

The Declaration was adopted by Congress on July 4, 1776, but most delegates probably signed the engrossed copy on August 2. Hancock’s name appears separately from the state-by-state grouping because he signed as Congress’s presiding officer. The other well-known names—including John Adams, Samuel Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson—appear among the delegates from their respective colonies.

A common mix-up is confusing the Declaration’s adoption date with the date when every signer signed it. Hancock was not the only signer, but his unusually large, flowing handwriting made his the best-known signature on the document.