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
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 American football Bill Adams (offensive lineman) (born 1950), American football player Bill Adams (American football coach), American college football coach Billy Ray Adams (1938–2023), American football player Willie Adams (American football) (1941–2019), American football player
Association football (soccer) Bill Adams (footballer, born 1902) (1902–1963), Southampton FC right half back Bill Adams (footballer, born 1921) (1921–1997), English footballer Billy Adams (footballer, born 1897) (1897–1945), footballer for Barrow and West Bromwich Albion Billy Adams (footballer, born 1919) (1919–1989), English footballer William Adams (footballer), footballer who played for Walsall and West Bromwich Albion
Other sports Bill Adams (ice hockey) (1897–1978), Canadian ice hockey player Bill Adams (Australian footballer) (1900–1973), VFL player and coach William Adams (cricketer, born 1885) (1885–1957), English cricketer William Adams (cricketer, born 1905) (1905–1971), English cricketer Willie Adams (1910s pitcher) (1890–1937), American baseball player Willie Adams (1990s pitcher) (born 1972), American baseball player (Oakland Athletics) 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 Howard Adams (1926–2023), American author, curator and lecturer on history and garden design William Y. Adams (1927–2019), American archaeologist and anthropologist, author of Nubia: Corridor to Africa W. E. Adams (1832–1906), English radical and journalist William Lee Adams, journalist and founder of Wiwibloggs
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 (samurai) (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 Jackson Adams (1860–1934), justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court 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 W. G. S. Adams (William George Stewart Adams, 1874–1966), British political scientist and public servant William M. Adams (born 1955), British geographer
See also Adams (surname) Bill Adam (born 1946), Scottish racing driver William Adam (disambiguation)