# William Adams

William Adams may refer to:

## Military

* William Adams (Royal Navy officer, died 1748), British naval officer
* William Adams (Royal Navy officer, born 1716) (1716–1763), British naval officer
* William E. Adams (1939–1971), US Army officer and Medal of Honor recipient
* William Wirt Adams (1819–1888), Confederate States of America army general

## Musicians

* Billy Adams, banjo player, a former member of Dexys Midnight Runners
* will.i.am (William James Adams, Jr., born 1975), musician, producer; member of The Black Eyed Peas
* Willy Northpole (William Adams, born 1980), rapper signed to Ludacris' DTP Records
* Billy Adams (rockabilly musician) (1940–2019), American rockabilly musician

## Politicians

* Acton Adams (William Acton Blakeway Adams, 1843–1924), New Zealand politician
* Billy Adams (politician) (William Herbert Adams, 1861–1954), Governor of Colorado
* William Adams (British Columbia politician) (1851–1936), rancher and politician in British Columbia, Canada
* William Adams (1752–1811), MP for Totnes
* William Adams (New Zealand politician) (1811–1884), New Zealand politician
* William E. Adams (New York politician) (1922–1983), New York politician
* William G. Adams (1923–2005), Canadian politician
* William Henry Adams (1809–1865), British Conservative MP for Boston and Chief Justice of Hong Kong
* William Taylor Adams (1822–1897), author & politician
* William Thomas Adams (1884–1949), British Member of Parliament for Hammersmith South, 1945–1949
* Willie Adams (politician) (born 1934), Canadian politician
* William Weston Adams (1786–1831), American politician, planter and medical doctor
* William H. Adams (Virginia politician) (1872–1958), American politician in the Virginia House of Delegates
* William Y. Adams (1927–2019), archaeologist

## Science, technology and philosophy

* William Adams (locomotive engineer) (1823–1904), British locomotive engineer
* William Adams (Master of Pembroke) (1706/7–1789), English scholar
* William Adams (oculist) (1783–1827), English ophthalmic surgeon
* William Bridges Adams (1797–1872), British inventor, author & locomotive engineer
* William Grylls Adams (1836–1915), professor of natural philosophy

## Sportspeople

* Bill Adams (offensive lineman) (born 1950), former Buffalo Bills offensive guard
* Bill Adams (American football coach), American college football coach
* Bill Adams (Australian footballer) (1900–1973), VFL player and coach
* Bill Adams (footballer, born 1902) (1902–1963), Southampton FC right half back
* Bill Adams (footballer, born 1921) (1921–1997), English footballer
* Bill Adams (ice hockey) (1897–1978), Canadian ice hockey player
* Billy Adams (footballer, born 1897) (1897–1945), footballer for Barrow and West Bromwich Albion
* Billy Adams (footballer, born 1919) (1919–1989), English footballer
* Billy Ray Adams (1938–2023), American football player
* William Adams (cricketer, born 1885) (1885–1957), English cricketer
* William Adams (cricketer, born 1905) (1905–1971), English cricketer
* William Adams (footballer), footballer who played for Walsall and West Bromwich Albion
* Willie Adams (1910s pitcher) (1890–1937), American baseball player
* Willie Adams (1990s pitcher) (born 1972), American baseball player (Oakland Athletics)
* Willie Adams (American football) (1941–2019), American football player
* Willie Adams (basketball) (1911–1992), American basketball player
* Smiley Adams (William Ernest Adams, 1935–2003), racehorse trainer

## Writers

* William Adams (author) (1814–1848), English religious writer
* William Davenport Adams (1851–1904), English writer and journalist, son of W. H. D. Adams
* William Henry Davenport Adams (1828–1891), English writer and journalist
* William Y. Adams (1927–2019), American author of Nubia: Corridor to Africa
* W. E. Adams (1832–1906), English radical and journalist

## Clergy

* William Adams (Dedham) (1650–1685), minister of the First Church and Parish in Dedham
* William Adams (educator) (1813–1897), co-founder of Nashotah House
* William Adams (minister) (1807–1880), American religious leader and college president
* William Forbes Adams (1833–1920), bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Easton

## Other uses

* William Adams (samurai) (1564–1620), English maritime navigator, shipbuilder and advisor to the Japanese government
* William Adams (haberdasher) (1585–1661), London haberdasher and founder of Adams' Grammar School
* William Adams (lawyer) (1772–1851), English lawyer, helped negotiate settlements with the US c.1814/1815
* William Adams (potter) (c. 1746–1805), North Staffordshire potter, founded the Greengates Pottery
* William Bridges-Adams (1889–1965), British stage director
* William Drea Adams, president of Bucknell University, 1995–2000; president of Colby College, 2000–2014
* William Adams (mining engineer) (1813–1876)
* William L. Adams (pioneer) (1821–1906), American writer, newspaper editor and doctor from Oregon
* William L. Adams (businessman) (1914–2011), Baltimore businessman and venture capitalist
* William S. Adams (1892–1930), American cinematographer
* William Adams (lifesaver) (1864–1913), English lifesaver from Gorleston
* William George Stewart Adams (1874–1966), British political scientist and public servant
* William M. Adams (born 1955), British geographer