Was Aesop of Aesop's fables a real person?

Question

or did someone collect these fables and give them that name and if so who?

Answer 1

Aesop (also spelled Æsop; from the Greek Αισωπος, Aisōpos), known only for his fables, was by tradition a slave who was a contemporary of Croesus and Peisistratus in the mid-sixth century BC in Ancient Greece. Aesop's Fables are still taught as moral lessons and used as subjects for various entertainments, especially children's plays and cartoons. According to tradition he was at one point freed from slavery and eventually died at the hands of Delphians, but nothing is known about Aesop from credible records. In fact, the obscurity shrouding his life has led some scholars to doubt his existence altogether.

Answer 2

Absolutely
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aesop

Answer 3

Probably as real as Shakespeare or Homer.