Very little is known with certainty about Stevin's life and what we know is mostly inferred from other recorded facts. The exact birth date and the date and place of his death are uncertain. It is assumed he was born in Bruges since he enrolled at Leiden University under the name "Simon Stevinus Brugensis" (meaning "Simon Stevin from Bruges"). His name is usually written as Stevin, but some documents regarding his father use the spelling "Stevijn" (pronunciation This is a normal spelling shift in 16th-century Dutch.