# List of people named William

William is a masculine given name which may refer to:

## Saints

* Saint William (disambiguation), lists several saints named William

## Royalty and nobility

    Ordered chronologically

### British

* William the Conqueror (c. 1028-1087) First Norman King of England, Duke of Normandy
* William II of England (c.1057-1100) King of England
* William III of England (1650-1702) King of England, Scotland and Ireland, Stadtholder of Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel
* William IV (1765-1837) King of the United Kingdom and Hanover
* William I of Scotland (c. 1142–1214), a.k.a. William the Lion
* William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke (1146/7–1219), Anglo-Norman soldier and statesman
* William IX, Count of Poitiers (1153–1156), first son of Henry II of England
* William, Prince of Wales (born 1982), elder son of King Charles III and Diana, Princess of Wales

### Dutch

* William I, Count of Holland (1167–1222), Count of Holland
* William II of Holland (1228–1256), also King of Germany
* William I, Prince of Orange (1533–1584), a.k.a. William the Silent
* William II, Prince of Orange (1626–1650), stadtholder of the United Provinces of the Netherlands
* William III of Orange (1650–1702), also William III of England and William II of Scotland
* William IV, Prince of Orange (1711–1751), first hereditary Stadtholder of all the United Provinces
* William I of the Netherlands (1772–1843), Prince of Orange and the first King of the Netherlands and Grand Duke of Luxembourg
* William V, Prince of Orange (1748–1806), last Stadtholder of the Dutch Republic
* William II of the Netherlands (1792–1849), King of the Netherlands, Grand Duke of Luxembourg, and Duke of Limburg
* William III of the Netherlands (1817–1890), King of the Netherlands, Grand Duke of Luxembourg, and Duke of Limburg

### French

* William of Gellone (c. 755–812 or 814), Count of Toulouse, canonized a saint
* William Longsword (r. 927–942), second Duke of Normandy
* William XI, Count of Auvergne
* William XII, Count of Auvergne (1300–1332), Count of Auvergne from 1325 to 1332

### German

* William I, German Emperor, (1797–1888), Emperor of Germany and King of Prussia
* Wilhelm II, German Emperor (1859–1941), Emperor of Germany and King of Prussia

### Sicilian

* William I of Sicily (1131–1166), a.k.a. William the Bad or William the Wicked
* William II of Sicily (1155–1189), a.k.a. William the Good
* William III of Sicily (1190–1198), last Norman King of Sicily, reigning briefly for ten months in 1194

### Cameroon

* William I of Bimbia, 19th-century king of the Isubu people
* William II of Bimbia (died 1882), king of the Isubu people

### Other

* William I (disambiguation), multiple royals and nobles
* William II, multiple royals and nobles
** William II of Villehardouin (died 1278), Prince of Achaea
* William III, multiple royals and nobles
* William IV (disambiguation), multiple royals and nobles
** William IV, Grand Duke of Luxembourg (1852–1912; r. 1905–1912)
* William V, multiple royals and nobles
* William VI, multiple royals and nobles
* William VII, multiple royals and nobles
* William VIII, multiple royals and nobles
* William IX, multiple royals and nobles
* William X, multiple royals and nobles
* William of Werle (died 1436/94-1436), Lord of Werle-Güstrow
* William, Prince of Albania (1876–1945), from March to September 1914

## Pre-modern era commoners

    Ordered chronologically

### British

* William (bishop of the Isles) (died 1095), bishop of what later became the Diocese of the Isles
* William Aiton (disambiguation), several people
* William de Corbeil (c. 1070–1136), Archbishop of Canterbury
* William of Malmesbury (died 1143), English historian and monk
* William of Tyre (c. 1130–1185), Archbishop of Tyre, chronicler of the Crusades
* William of Norwich (c. 1132–1144), saint and martyr
* William of York (died 1154), Archbishop of York and saint
* William (bishop of Moray) (died 1162), Roman Catholic bishop in Scotland
* William the Trouvère (fl. 1150–1200), English Anglo-Norman poet and translator
* William of Ramsey (fl. 1219), English monk and hagiographer
* William (bishop of Dunblane) (died early 1290s), Tironensian abbot and bishop in the Kingdom of Scotland
* William Wallace (c.  1270–1305), Scottish general and one of the main leaders during the Wars of Scottish Independence
* William of Ockham (1287–1347), English friar and philosopher, originator of Occam's Razor
* William of Wykeham (1320–1404), Bishop of Winchester, founder of Winchester College and New College, Oxford
* William Caxton (c. 1422–c. 1491), English merchant, diplomat and writer, thought to be the first person to introduce a printing press into England

### French

* William of Poitiers (c. 1020–1090), Norman chronicler, chaplain to William the Conqueror
* William de St-Calais (died 1096), Norman abbot, Bishop of Durham
* William (bishop of Orange) (died 1098), took part in the First Crusade
* William of Champeaux (1070–1121), French philosopher and theologian
* William of Conches (c. 1090–c. 1154), French scholastic philosopher, tutor of Henry II of England
* William of Donjeon (c. 1155–1209), a.k.a. St. William of Bourges and St. William the Confessor, French archbishop
* William the Clerk (fl. c. 1200–c. 1240), Old French poet, writer of the Roman de Fergus
* William the Clerk of Normandy (fl. 1210/1211–1227/1238), Norman cleric and Old French poet
* William of Auxerre (died 1231), French theologian

### Other

* William (marcha orientalis) (died 871), Margrave of the March of Pannonia, part of the Carolingian Empire
* William (archbishop of Mainz) (929–968), German bishop, son of Emperor Otto the Great
* William of St-Thierry (died 1148), theologian and mystic, abbot of St. Thierry
* William of Moerbeke (1215–1286), Flemish bishop, translator of philosophical, medical, and scientific texts

## Modern era
### Several people

* William Adams (disambiguation), several people
* William Andrews (disambiguation), several people
* William Arnett (disambiguation), several people
* William Arnott (disambiguation), several people
* William Ash (disambiguation), several people
* William Barnett (disambiguation), several people
* William Barry (disambiguation), several people
* William Bartram (disambiguation), several people
* William Beckett (disambiguation), several people
* William Bell (disambiguation), several people
* William Boyd (disambiguation), several people
* William Bridges (disambiguation), several people
* William Brydges (disambiguation), several people
* William Campbell (disambiguation), multiple people
* William Davis (disambiguation), several people
* William Douglas (disambiguation), several people
* William Duane (disambiguation), several people
* William Fuller (disambiguation), several people
* William Garnett (disambiguation), several people
* William Gay (disambiguation), several people
* William Hamilton (disambiguation), several people
* William Handy (disambiguation), several people
* William Harrison (disambiguation), several people
* William Jones (disambiguation), several people
* William Kelley (disambiguation), several people
* William King (disambiguation), several people
* William Lee (disambiguation), several people
* William Long (disambiguation), several people
* William Moses (disambiguation), several people
* William Mullins (disambiguation), several people
* William North (disambiguation), several people
* William Price (disambiguation), several people
* William Prince (disambiguation), several people
* William Rice (disambiguation), several people
* William Richardson (disambiguation), several people
* William Rush (disambiguation), several people
* William Shaw (disambiguation), several people
* William Smith (disambiguation), several people
* William Swift (disambiguation), several people
* William Wales (disambiguation), several people
* William Wegman (disambiguation), several people
* William White (disambiguation), several people
* William Wolf (disambiguation), several people
* William Wolfe (disambiguation), several people
* William Wolff (disambiguation), several people
* William Wood (disambiguation), several people
* William Woods (disambiguation), several people
* William Wright (disambiguation), several people
* William Wyatt (disambiguation), several people

### Others

* William Henry Aldis (1871–1948), English Protestant missionary
* Lt. William "Vasilios" "Bill" George Aliapoulos (1917-2008), American-born Greek engineer and 1st Lieutenant platoon leader of the 406th Engineer Combat Company
* William "Jock" Alves (c. 1909–1979), Rhodesian physician and politician
* William Amaral de Andrade (born 1967), Brazilian football manager and former centre-back
* William Ayache (born 1961), French footballer and manager
* William Ball (suffragist) (born 1862), British workers union member who supported women's suffrage
* Bill Beagan (born 1937), Canadian ice hockey administrator
* William Sperry Beinecke (1914–2018), American philanthropist and businessman
* William Bianchini (born 1960), retired Luxembourgish football midfielder
* William Bradford Bishop (born 1936), American former U.S. foreign service officer accused of killing his family
* William Bonin (1947–1996), American serial killer and rapist
* William Bonner, Brazilian newscaster and journalist
* William H. Bonney, alias of American outlaw Billy the Kid
* William Bradford (1946–2008), American murderer
* William M. Branham (1909–1965), American Christian preacher
* William Bridgeo, American politician
* William Byron (racing driver), American NASCAR driver
* William Jennings Bryan (1860–1925), American orator and politician
* William Burke and William Hare (Burke 1792–1829; Hare unknown), Irish serial killers
* W. Sterling Cary (1927–2021), American Christian minister
* William Cassels (1858–1925), British Anglican missionary bishop
* William T. Cefalu, chief scientific and medical officer of the American Diabetes Association.
* Bill Clinton (born 1946), 42nd president of the United States
* William Cooper (1943–2001), American writer, radio host, and political activist
* William Crosfield (1838–1909), British politician
* William Dar (born 1953), Filipino horticulturist and government administrator
* Peduru Hewage William de Silva (1908–1988), Sri Lankan Sinhala Marxist politician
* William Herschel (1738-1822), German born British Astronomer
* William De Vecchis (born 1971), Italian politician
* William DeVizia (born 1969), American actor
* William "Jack" Dempsey (1895–1983), Irish Native-American boxer and World Heavyweight Champion
* William J. Donovan (1883–1959), American soldier, lawyer, intelligence officer and diplomat
* William Duckworth (1943–2012), American composer, author, educator and internet pioneer
* William S. Edings (1857–1927), justice of the Territorial Supreme Court of Hawaii
* William Edward Rose (1813–1893), hotelier and state senator
* William Lukens Elkins (1832–1903), American businessman, inventor and art collector
* William N. Ethridge (1912–1971), chief justice of the Supreme Court of Mississippi
* Gilberto William Fabbro (born 1977), Brazilian football attacking midfielder
* William Faulkner (1897–1962), American writer
* William R. Federici (1917–2009), chief justice of the New Mexico Supreme Court
* William José de Assis Filho (born 1933), Brazilian football defender
* W. A. Fry (1872–1944), Canadian sport administrator and newspaper publisher
* William de Asevedo Furtado (born 1995), Brazilian football right-back
* Bill Gates (born 1955), American businessman and philanthropist
* William Glasser (1925–2013), American psychiatrist
* William A. Goff (1929–2019), judge of the United States Tax Court
* William Gold (born 1996), British Twitch streamer, YouTuber, and musician known as Wilbur Soot
* William Gopallawa (1896–1981), last Governor-General of Ceylon, first President of Sri Lanka
* W. G. Grace (1848–1915), British cricketer
* William Grigahcine (born 1986), French musician professionally known as DJ Snake
* William "Yamyam" Gucong (born 1993), Filipino actor and comedian
* William Talbot Handy (1894–1983), American Methodist minister
* William Talbot Handy, Jr. (1924–1998), American civil rights activist and United Methodist bishop
* W. G. Hardy (1895–1979), Canadian professor, writer and ice hockey administrator
* William Randolph Hearst Sr. (1863–1951), American businessman, newspaper publisher and politician
* William Randolph Hearst Jr., (1908-1993), American businessman and newspaper publisher; son of William Randolph Hearst Sr.
* William Heinecke (born 1949), American-born Thai businessman
* Bill Hicks (1961-1994), American stand-up comedian
* William Higinbotham (1910-1994), American physicist.
* William Holden (1918–1981), American actor
* William Hurt (1950–2022), American actor
* William M. Ireland (died 1891), American co-founder of the National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry
* William Ivens (1878–1957) Canadian religious and political figure
* William H. Jacoby (1841-1905), American photographer
* João William Alves de Jesus, (born 1996), Brazilian football defender
* William Katt (born 1951), American actor
* William Kempster (1914–1977), British artist
* William Kempster (mason) (1651–1717), English stonemason
* William Kunnecke (disappeared 1919), American fugitive
* William Lai (born 1959), Taiwanese politician
* William LeMassena (1916–1993), American actor
* William LeMessurier (1926–2007), American structural engineer
* William L. Leverette (1913–2003), American World War II flying ace
* William Lindstedt, (fl. 2022), American politician
* William Michael Lynn (born 1958), American academic
* William MacDonald (1924–2015), English serial killer
* William Bandara Makuloluwa (1922–1984), Sri Lankan musicologist, author, and director
* William P. Marontate (1919–1943), American World War II flying ace
* William McKenna (politician) (born 1946), American politician
* William McKenna (actor), Australian actor
* William McKinley (1843–1901), 25th president of the United States
* William McMahon (1908–1988), 20th prime minister of Australia
* William McNamara (born 1965), American actor
* William Ephraim Mikell (1868–1944), American legal scholar and lawyer
* William Millward (1822-1871), American politician
* William Alexander Milne, Scottish-Australian photographer
* William Ntoso, Ghanaian member of parliament
* William Nylander (born 1996), Swedish ice hockey winger
* William (footballer, born 1968), full name William César de Oliveira, Brazilian football midfielder
* William Pepper (1843-1898), American physician and Provost of the University of Pennsylvania
* Galappatti Kankanange William Perera (1884–1956), Sri Lankan lawyer, educator, diplomat
* William Phipps (1922–2018), American actor and singer, best known for performing the voice of Prince Charming from Disney's Cinderella
* William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham or William Pitt the Elder (1708–1778), British statesman and prime minister
* William Pitt the Younger (1759–1806), British statesman and prime minister
* William Poole (1821–1855), also known as Bill the Butcher, a gang leader in New York city
* William H. Quealy (1913–1993), judge of the United States Tax Court
* Don William Rajapatirana (fl. 1930s–1960s), Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka from 1959 to 1967
* William Rawle (1759-1836), United States Attorney for Pennsylvania
* William Redmond (died 1980), American murder victim
* Will Rogers (1879-1935) American humorous social commentator
* William Ronckendorff (1812-1891), United States Navy officer
* William Arthur Conceição dos Santos (born 1982), Brazilian football striker
* Toby Sexsmith (William Raymond; 1885–1943), Canadian politician and ice hockey administrator
* William Shakespeare (1564–1616), English poet, playwright and actor
* William Ruto, 5th and current President of Kenya
* William Shatner (born 1931), Canadian actor
* William Tecumseh Sherman (1820–1891), American Civil War General
* William Crapon Sibley (1832–1902), American business executive
* William E. Simon (1927–2000), 63rd United States Secretary of the Treasury
* William South (1866-1938), photographer and inventor
* William Júnior Salles de Lima Souza (born 1983), Brazilian football striker
* William Gerald Strongman (1936–2021), Canadian politician
* William Cooper Talley (1831-1903), American politician
* William Howard Taft (1857–1930), 27th president of the United States (1909–1913)
* W. F. Taylor (1877–1945), founding president of the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association
* William Tennekoon, Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka from 1967 to 1971
* William Yan Thorley (born 2002), Hong Kong marathon swimmer
* William Alfred Tilleke (1860–1917), Ceylon-born Siamese lawyer, entrepreneur and aristocrat
* William To (born 1979), Hong Kong sprinter
* William Sansom Vaux (1811-1882), American mineralogist
* William Warren Vernon (1834–1919), British noble and scholar
* William Villeger (born 2000), French badminton player
* William Wei (born 1987), Taiwanese singer-songwriter
* William Wilberforce (1759–1833), British politician, philanthropist and abolitionist
* William Wilson (born 2001), Australian footballer
* William Wordsworth (1770–1850), English poet
* William Worth (1745–1808), American Baptist minister
* Bill Wurtz (born 1989), American musician, songwriter, music producer, voice actor, video editor, and animator
* William Butler Yeats (1865–1939), Irish poet
* William Zabka (born 1965), American actor

## Fictional characters

* William "Will", a character in Veronica Roth's Divergent
* Sir William, Rapunzel's husband in Chris Colfer's The Land of Stories
* William Afton, a major antagonist in the Five Nights at Freddy's game franchise
* William Baker (nicknamed "Flint Marko"), also known as Sandman from Marvel Comics
* William Birkin, in the Resident Evil game franchise
* B.J. Blazkowicz is the main character in most of the Wolfenstein video game series.
* William "Bill" Bracken from Castle
* William Brown, the main character of the children's book series Just William by Richmal Crompton
* William "Will" Byers, from Stranger Things
* William "Will" Turner, Pirates of the Caribbean
* William "Bootstrap Bill" Turner, Pirates of the Caribbean
* William "Will" Colbert, a guest star in NBC sitcom Friends, played by Brad Pitt
* William Collins, a character in Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice
* William "Will" Darnell, a character in Christine
* William "Bill" Denbrough, main protagonist in Stephen King's novel It
* William Ellis, a survivor in the video game Identity V
* Will Graham, in Thomas Harris' novel Red Dragon, the film adaptations Manhunter (1986) and Red Dragon (2002), and the television series Hannibal (2013–2015)
* William "Billy" Hargrove, from Stranger Things
* William Herondale, one of the main characters in the young adult book series The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare
* William Kaplan from Marvel comics
* William "Billy" Loomis, main villain in Scream
* Billy Mitchell, a fictional character in the British soap opera EastEnders
* William Murdoch, a main protagonist in the Canadian television series Murdoch Mysteries
* William "Billy" Nolan, one of the main antagonists in Stephen King's Carrie and its adaptations
* William "Bill" Overbeck, one of the main playable protagonists in Left 4 Dead and Left 4 Dead 2
* William Riker, first officer on the Enterprise-D in the Star Trek franchise
* William "Bill" Sikes, one of the main antagonists in Charles Dickens' novel Oliver Twist
* William Solace, head healer and son of Apollo in Percy Jackson & the Olympians and The Heroes of Olympus
* William Somerset, main character in Se7en, played by Morgan Freeman
* William Suarez, one of the main characters of Philippine television series Widows' Web, portrayed by Bernard Palanca
* William T. Spears, a reaper in the manga Black Butler by Yana Toboso
* William Thacker, main character in Notting Hill, played by Hugh Grant
* William Toughbutt, a character in Ninjago
* William Traynor, in Me before you and its film adaptation
* William Anthonio Zeppeli, a major character in Phantom Blood, the first part of the Japanese manga series Jojo's Bizarre Adventure