William Wilson

William Wilson, or variants, may refer to:

Politicians

American

• Bill Wilson (activist) (born 1953), small government activist
• Bill Wilson (Montana politician) (born 1961), Montana state representative
• W. Eugene Wilson (William Eugene Wilson, 1929–2015), member of the North Carolina General Assembly
• Will Wilson (Texas politician) (1912–2005), American politician, attorney, and judge in Texas
• William A. Wilson (diplomat) (1914–2009), first U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See
• William B. Wilson (1862–1934), U.S. (Scottish-born) labor leader and political figure
  • SS William B. Wilson, a Liberty ship
• William C. Wilson (New York politician) (1866–1943), New York comptroller in 1906
• William E. Wilson (Indiana politician) (1870–1948), U.S. Representative from Indiana
• William H. Wilson (New York politician) (c. 1873–1901), New York assemblyman
• William H. Wilson (1877–1937), U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania, 1935–1937
• William K. Wilson (1817–1898), Wisconsin state senator
• William Lyne Wilson (1843–1900), United States Postmaster General
• William Sydney Wilson (1816–1862), Confederate politician
• William T. Wilson (born 1937), member of the Virginia House of Delegates
• William Warfield Wilson (1868–1942), U.S. Representative from Illinois
• William Wilson (Iowa politician) (1820–1900), Iowa state senator
• William M. Wilson (politician) (1838–1904), Iowa state senator
• William Wilson (Ohio politician) (1773–1827), U.S. Representative from Ohio
• William Wilson (Pennsylvania politician), U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania, 1815–1819
• William Wilson (Wisconsin politician) (1807–1892), Wisconsin state senator
• Bill Wilson, mayor of Santa Clara, California, founder of the Bill Wilson Center for homeless youth

British

• William Wilson (died 1582), MP for Southwark
• William Wilson (1720–1796), British Member of Parliament for Ilchester, 1761–1768
• William Wilson (Donegal MP) (1836–1876), MP for Donegal 1876–1879
• William Wilson (Westhoughton MP) (1855–1921), British trade unionist and Member of Parliament for Westhoughton
• William Wilson (Coventry MP) (1913–2010), British Labour Member of Parliament, 1964–1983
• Bill Wilson (Scottish politician) (William L. Wilson, born 1963), Scottish nationalist
• William Wilson, prime minister of the micronation Austenasia

Canadian

• Bill Wilson (chief) (1944–2025), hereditary chief and politician in British Columbia
• William Wilson (British Columbia politician) (1838–1922), merchant and politician in British Columbia
• William Wilson (New Brunswick politician) (1845–1921), Canadian politician in the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick
• William Wilson (Upper Canada politician) (1789–1847), politician in Upper Canada
• William Wallace Wilson (1876–1967), Alberta politician
• William Wilber Wilfred Wilson (1885–1964), Canadian politician

Australian

• William Wilson (Queensland politician) (1832–1903), member of the Queensland Legislative Council
• William Wilson (Victorian politician) (1834–1891), member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly and Council

New Zealand

• William Wilson (mayor) (1819–1897), first mayor of Christchurch, New Zealand, 1868

Sports

Association football

• William Wilson (defender), English footballer for Newcastle United and Bradford City
• William Wilson (footballer, born 1902) (1902–?), English footballer
• William Wilson (footballer, born 1915) (1915–?), English footballer
• William Wilson (footballer, born November 1915) (1915–?), English footballer
• William Wilson (footballer, born 1921), Scottish football goalkeeper for Queen of the South and Third Lanark
• William Wilson (footballer, born 2001), Kenyan footballer
• Billy Wilson (footballer, born 1896) (1896–1996), English footballer
• Billy Wilson (footballer, born 1936) (1936–2025), Northern Irish football player for Burnley
• Billy Wilson (footballer, born 1946) (1946–2018), English footballer
• Billy Wilson (American soccer) (fl. 1920s–30s), American soccer player
• Billy Wilson (Scottish footballer), played for Airdrieonians FC and managed Albion Rovers F.C.
• Willie Wilson (footballer, born 1894) (1894–1956), Scottish footballer, played for Hearts and Cowdenbeath
• Willie Wilson (footballer, born 1941) (1941–2001), Scottish footballer
• Willie Wilson (footballer, born 1972), Scottish footballer

Baseball

• William Wilson (baseball), American baseball player
• Will Wilson (baseball) (born 1998), American baseball player
• Willie Wilson (baseball) (born 1955), American baseball outfielder
• Willy Wilson (baseball) (1884–1925), baseball player
• Bill Wilson (catcher) (1867–1924), MLB catcher
• Bill Wilson (outfielder) (1928–2017), MLB outfielder
• Bill Wilson (pitcher) (1942–1993), Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher
• Mookie Wilson (William Hayward Wilson, born 1956), MLB outfielder
• Mutt Wilson (William Clarence Wilson, 1896–1962), MLB pitcher

Australian rules football

• William Wilson (sportsman, born 1909) (1909–1976), Australian rules footballer for Essendon and cricketer for Victoria
• Bill Wilson (footballer) (1924–1969), Australian rules footballer for Richmond and Glenelg
• Billy Wilson (footballer, born 1891) (1891–1957), Australian rules footballer for Fitzroy
• Billy Wilson (footballer, born 2005), Australian rules footballer for Carlton

Cricket

• William Wilson (cricketer, born 1912) (c. 1912–death unknown), Australian cricketer
• William Wilson (South African cricketer) (1925–2005), South African cricketer
• Billy Wilson (cricketer) (1868–1920), Australian cricketer

Rugby

• Billy Wilson (Australian rugby league) (1927–1993), Australian rugby league footballer
• Billy Wilson (New Zealand rugby league) (1889–1976), rugby league footballer of the 1910s, and 1920s for New Zealand, Wellington and Athletic
• Will Wilson (rugby union) (born 1997), English rugby union and rugby sevens player

Other sports

• William Wilson (aquatics) (1844–1912), Scottish writer on swimming, and the inventor of water polo
• Billy Wilson (running back), college football player
• William Wilson (field hockey) (1917–1984), American Olympic hockey player
• William George Wilson (1917–2007), sports cinematographer
• Willie Wilson (speedway rider) (1923–2016), Scottish speedway rider
• Billy Wilson (wide receiver) (1927–2009), NFL wide receiver
• William Wilson (swimmer) (born 1964), Filipino swimmer
• Willy Wilson (born 1980), Filipino basketball player
• William Wilson (wrestler), (1887–1955), British Olympic wrestler

Arts and entertainment

• William Wilson (architect) (1641–1710), English architect, builder and sculptor
• William Wilson (poet) (1801–1860), Scottish-American poet, bookseller and publisher
• W. J. Wilson (William John Wilson, 1833–1909), actor, scene painter and stage manager
• William Hardy Wilson (1881–1955), Australian architect, artist and author
• William Wilson (artist) (1905–1972), Scottish stained glass artist, printmaker and watercolours
• William E. Wilson (photographer) (1853–1905), English portrait photographer
• William E. Wilson (writer) (1906–1988), American author and professor, son of the Indiana politician
• William Scott Wilson (born 1944), author and translator of samurai literature
• Will Wilson (artist) (born 1957), American painter of portraits, illustrations and trompe-l'œil works
• Will Wilson (photographer) (born 1969), Native American photographer
• William Wilson (vocalist), lead singer of Legion Within
• William Llewellyn Wilson, conductor, musician, teacher and music educator from Baltimore
• Willie Wilson (drummer) (born 1947), member of Quiver; worked with Pink Floyd, Al Stewart

Business

• William Proctor Wilson (1921–2010), president of Buttrick Publishing Company
• Willie Wilson (businessman) (born 1948), Chicago businessman, musician, philanthropist, and political candidate
• William Willson (businessman) (died 2015), chairman of Aston Martin, 1972–1975
• W. R. Wilson (c. 1849–1900), an Australian businessman with extensive interests in mining and a racehorse owner and breeder
• William Wilson, businessman, founder of Price's Candles
• Bill Wilson, founder of US firearms manufacturer Wilson Combat

Law and crime

• Billy Wilson (outlaw) (1862–1918), American outlaw who rode with Billy the Kid
• Bill Wilson (convict) (1880–19??), convicted of murdering two individuals who were later found alive
• Billy Roy Wilson (William Roy Wilson Jr., born 1939), United States federal judge
• William Wilson (Illinois jurist) (1794–1857), Chief Justice of the Illinois Supreme Court
• Bill Wilson (judge), New Zealand judge of the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal
• William C. Wilson (judge) (1812–1882), Vermont lawyer and judge
• William Adam Wilson (1928–1994), professor of Scots Law at Edinburgh University
• William Rae Wilson (1772–1849), Scottish lawyer and travel writer
• William Robert Wilson (born c. 1940), Australian murderer involved in the 1976 Spring Hill shooting

Military

• Sir William Deane Wilson (1843–1921), British army surgeon-general
• William Wilson (Medal of Honor) (1847–1895), one of nineteen people to receive the Medal of Honor twice
• William Othello Wilson (1867–1928), member of the US Army's 9th Cavalry, and recipient of the Medal of Honor
• William Tecumseh Wilson (1823–1905), American Union brevet brigadier general from Ohio
• William Wilson (Zouave) (1823–1874), American Union brevet brigadier general from New York
• William Wilson (Commodore) (1715-1795), Commodore of the East India Company

Religion

• William Wilson (priest) (1545–1615), Canon of Windsor
• William Wilson (Secession minister) (1690–1741), co-founder of the Secession Church
• William Carus Wilson (1791–1859), English churchman and founder and editor of The Children's Friend
• William Wilson (bishop) (1806–1888), Anglican bishop in Scotland
• William Wilson (Dundee minister) (1808–1888) Presbyterian minister, moderator of the Free Church
• William Hay Wilson (1864–1935), Anglican priest
• William C. Wilson (minister) (1866–1915), General Superintendent of the Church of the Nazarene
• William Lyall Wilson (1866–1914), minister of the Church of Scotland
• Bill Wilson (pastor) (born 1948), president and founder of Metro Ministries International
• William Wilson (American academic) (born 1958), theologian affiliated with Oral Roberts University
• William Wilson (Dean of Cloyne), Dean of Cloyne, 1908–1934
• William Croft Wilson (1931–1963), American Congregational minister

Science

• William Wilson (botanist) (1799–1871), English botanist
• William James Erasmus Wilson (1809–1884), physician and surgeon
• William Edward Wilson (astronomer) (1851–1908), Irish astronomer
• William Parkinson Wilson (1826–1874), English astronomer and professor of mathematics
• William Wilson (English academic) (1875–1965), English physicist
• William Wilson (physicist) (1887–1948), English-born physicist
• William Hawkins Wilson (1866–1956), British physiologist
• William L. Wilson (nanoscientist), American scientist

Others

• William "Amos" Wilson (1762–1821), folklore figure of southern Pennsylvania, referred to as "The Pennsylvania Hermit"
• William A. Wilson (folklorist) (1933–2016), studied and taught Mormon folklore
• Bill W. (William Griffith Wilson, 1895–1971), co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous
• Edward Wilson (explorer) (1872–1912), known as Uncle Bill, Antarctic explorer
• William Wilson (engineer) (1809–1862), English railway pioneer in Germany
• William E. Wilson, British railway civil engineer, first employer of John Harry Grainger
• William Julius Wilson (born 1935), sociologist
• William L. Wilson (Rice University), professor of electrical engineering

In fiction

• "William Wilson" (short story), an 1839 short story by Edgar Allan Poe
• "William Wilson", a song from The Smithereens' 1989 album 11
• Wilson the Wonder Athlete (William Wilson), a character in British story and comic papers published by D.C. Thomson
• Billy Wilson, a character in Angels with Broken Wings
• Agent Bill Wilson, also known as CIA, a character in The Dark Knight Rises

See also

• William Willson (disambiguation)