List of Famous people named William

William Blount, 4th Baron Mountjoy, KG, of Barton Blount, Derbyshire, was an extremely influential English courtier, a respected humanistic scholar and patron of learning. He was one of the most influential and perhaps the wealthiest English noble courtier of his time. Mountjoy was known internationally as a humanist writer and scholar and patron of the arts.

William McKinley Sr. was an American manufacturer. He was a pioneer of the iron industry in eastern Ohio as well as the father of President William McKinley.

The Hon. William Herbert was a British botanist, botanical illustrator, poet, and clergyman. He served as a member of parliament for Hampshire from 1806 to 1807, and for Cricklade from 1811 to 1812. His botanical writings are noted for his treatment of Amaryllidaceae.

Rear Admiral William Sterling "Deak" Parsons was an American naval officer who worked as an ordnance expert on the Manhattan Project during World War II. He is best known for being the weaponeer on the Enola Gay, the aircraft which dropped the Little Boy atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan in 1945. To avoid the possibility of a nuclear explosion if the aircraft crashed and burned on takeoff, he decided to arm the bomb in flight. While the aircraft was en route to Hiroshima, Parsons climbed into the cramped and dark bomb bay, and inserted the powder charge and detonator. He was awarded the Silver Star for his part in the mission.

Major-General Hon. Sir William Ponsonby was an Anglo-Irish politician and British Army officer who served in the Peninsula War and was killed at the Battle of Waterloo.

William Philip Sidney, 1st Viscount De L'Isle,, known as The Lord De L'Isle and Dudley between 1945 and 1956, was a British Army officer, politician and Victoria Cross recipient who served as the 15th Governor-General of Australia, in office from 1961 to 1965. He was the last non-Australian to hold the position.

William Amhurst Tyssen-Amherst, 1st Baron Amherst of Hackney, was a British Conservative Member of Parliament and collector of books and works of art.

William Henry Grenfell, 1st Baron Desborough, was a British athlete, sportsman, public servant and politician. He sat in the House of Commons first for the Liberal Party and then for the Conservatives between 1880 and 1905 when he was raised to the peerage. He also was President of the Thames Conservancy Board for thirty-two years.