List of people named William

William is a masculine given name which may refer to:

Fictional characters

• William Afton, a major antagonist in the Five Nights at Freddy's game franchise
• William Birkin, a character in the Resident Evil game franchise
• William Brown, the main character of the children's book series Just William by Richmal Crompton
• William "Will" Byers, a character from Stranger Things
• William Ellis, a survivor in the video game Identity V
• William Herondale, one of the main characters in the young adult book series The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare
• William T. Riker, first officer on the Enterprise-D in the Star Trek film franchise
• William T. Spears, a reaper in the manga Black Butler by Yana Toboso
• William Anthonio Zeppeli, a major character in Phantom Blood, the first part of the Japanese manga series Jojo's Bizarre Adventure

Nobility

Ordered chronologically

British

• William Longsword (r. 927–942), second duke of Normandy
• William I of England (1027–1087), a.k.a. William the Conqueror or William the Bastard
• William II of England (1056–1100), a.k.a. William Rufus
• 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 III of England (1650–1702), also William II of Scotland, a.k.a. William of Orange
• William IV of the United Kingdom (1765–1837), King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and King of Hanover
• Prince William, Duke of Cambridge (born 1982), formerly Prince William of Wales, son of Charles, Prince 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.755–814), Count of Toulouse, canonized a saint

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 II of Villehardouin (died 1278), Prince of Achaea
• William of Werle (died 1436/94-1436), Lord of Werle-Güstrow
• William IV, Grand Duke of Luxembourg (1852–1912)
• 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 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
• William Shakespeare (1564–1616), English playwright, poet and actor

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

Ordered alphabetically

• William Barry Former lead singer of Split Decision
• William "Jock" Alves (c. 1909–1979), Rhodesian physician and politician
• Peduru Hewage William de Silva (1908-1988), Sri Lankan Sinhala Marxist politician
• William Adams (disambiguation)
• William Ayache (born 1961), French footballer and manager
• Bill Beagan (born 1937), Canadian ice hockey administrator
• William Ball (suffragist) (born 1862), British workers union member who supported women's suffrage
• William Bell (disambiguation)
• 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 Boyd (disambiguation)
• William Bradford (1946–2008), American murderer
• William Branham, Christian preacher
• 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
• 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
• William De Vecchis (born 1971), Italian politician
• 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 Douglas (disambiguation)
• William Duane (disambiguation)
• William Lukens Elkins (1832-1903), American businessman, inventor and art collector
• William Faulkner (1897–1962), American writer
• W. A. Fry (1872–1944), Canadian sport administrator and newspaper publisher
• William Fuller (disambiguation)
• Bill Gates (born 1955), American businessman and philanthropist
• William Gay (disambiguation)
• William Glasser (1925–2013), American psychiatrist
• William Gopallawa (1896-1981), last Governor-General of Ceylon, first President of Sri Lanka
• W. G. Hardy (1895–1979), Canadian professor, writer and ice hockey administrator
• William Harrison (disambiguation)
• William Randolph Hearst Sr. (1863–1951), American businessman, newspaper publisher and politician
• William Heinecke (born 1949), American-born Thai businessman
• William Holden (1918–1981), American actor
• William Hurt (1950–2022), American actor
• William M. Ireland (? - 1891), One of the founders of the National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry
• William Kelley (disambiguation)
• William Lee (disambiguation)
• 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 Long (disambiguation)
• 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 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 North (disambiguation)
• William Nylander, Swedish ice hockey winger
• 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
• Don William Rajapatirana, Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka from 1959 to 1967
• William Rice (disambiguation)
• William Richardson (disambiguation)
• Toby Sexsmith (William Raymond; 1885–1943), Canadian politician and ice hockey administrator
• William Shakespeare (1564–1616), English poet, playwright and actor
• William Shatner (born 1931), Canadian actor
• William Shaw (disambiguation)
• William Smith (disambiguation)
• 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 Alfred Tilleke (1860–1917), Ceylonese-born Siamese lawyer, entrepreneur and aristocrat
• William Villeger (born 2000), French badminton player
• William Wegman (disambiguation)
• William Wei (born 1987), Taiwanese singer-songwriter
• William White (disambiguation)
• William Wilberforce (1759–1833), British politician, philanthropist and abolitionist
• William Wolf (disambiguation)
• William Wolfe (disambiguation)
• William Wolff (disambiguation)
• William Wood (disambiguation)
• William Woods (disambiguation)
• William Wordsworth (1770–1850), English poet
• William Wright (disambiguation)
• William Wyatt (disambiguation)
• W. B. Yeats (1865–1939), Irish poet
• William Zabka (born 1965), American actor