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 (pilot) (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