William Smith

Fictional characters

• Bill Smith, in the Canadian TV comedy program The Red Green Show, played by Rick Green
• Billy Smith, in the US late-night live sketch comedy variety show Saturday Night Live, played by Fred Armisen
• Billy Smith, in the UK TV soap opera Coronation Street
• Will Smith (The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air), TV series character
• Will Smith (Home and Away), in the Australian TV soap opera Home and Away, played by Zac Drayson
• Will Smith, child character in Wee Sing The Best Christmas Ever!

Architecture

• William Smith (architect) (1817–1891), Scottish architect
• William Crawford Smith (1837–1899), American architect
• W. Wheeler Smith (c. 1838–1908), American architect and real estate developer

Film, television, and theatre

• William "Gentleman" Smith (1730–1819), English stage star
• William Henry Smith (1806–1872), American author of 1844 temperance play The Drunkard
• William Smith (American actor) (1933–2021), American character performer
• William Smith (17th-century actor) (died 1696), British actor
• William Smith (teacher) (1939–2024), South African television science and mathematics presenter
• Will Smith (comedian) (born 1971), English actor and writer
• Will Smith (born 1968), American actor, rapper, and film producer
• Billy J. Smith (1946–2019), Australian television and radio presenter

Graphic arts

• William Thompson Russell Smith (1812–1896), Scottish-American painter
• William Collingwood Smith (1815–1887), English painter
• William Brooke Smith (before 1880–1908), American artist
• William Twigg-Smith (1883–1950), New Zealand artist
• William E. Smith (artist) (1913–1997), African American illustrator
• W. Eugene Smith (1918–1978), American photojournalist
• William Craig Smith (1918–1986), American art director
• William Arthur Smith (1918–1989), American artist

Literature

• William Smith (poet) (before 1570–after 1606), English sonneteer
• William Gardner Smith (1927–1974), African-American novelist
• William Hart-Smith (1911–1990), New Zealand/Australian poet
• William Henry Smith (1806–1872), American author of 1844 temperance play The Drunkard
• William Jardine Smith (1834–1884), Australian writer and editor
• William Jay Smith (1918–2015), American poet
• William Tyler Smith (1815–1873), English obstetrician, medical writer and journalist
• William Wragg Smith (1808–1875), American planter, lawyer, naturalist, translator and poet
• Will Smith (comedian) (born 1971), English actor and writer
• Will Smith, American tech journalist, 2010 founder of Tested.com

Music

• Barkin' Bill Smith (1928–2000), American Chicago blues singer
• Bill Smith (Canadian musician) (born 1938), Canadian record producer, musician, writer, editor
• Bill Smith (English musician) (born 1940), founding member of the Quarrymen
• Bill Smith (jazz musician) (1926–2020), folk jazz clarinetist, professor of music at the University of Washington
• Major Bill Smith (1922–1994), American record producer and executive
• William Smith (composer) (1603–1645), English composer from the city of Durham
• William "Smitty" Smith (1944–1997), keyboardist and session musician
• Willie "Big Eyes" Smith (1936–2011), blues drummer and singer
• Willie "Long Time" Smith, dates unknown, Chicago blues pianist and singer
• Willie Smith (alto saxophonist) (1910–1967), jazz alto saxophonist
• Willie "the Lion" Smith (1893–1973), jazz pianist
• William Oscar Smith, jazz double bassist and music educator
• Billo Smith (William David Smith, 1897–1973), Australian musician and bandleader
• Will Smith (born 1968), American actor, rapper, and film producer

Other people in arts and entertainment

• Bill Smith (jewelry designer) (born 1933), first African American recipient of Coty Award
• Willi Smith (1948–1987), American fashion designer

United States and American colonies

In other countries

• William Smith (judge, born 1728) (1728–1793), historian, chief justice of the Province of New York, and chief justice of the Province of Quebec and later Lower Canada
• William Smith (Nova Scotia politician) (died 1779), merchant, judge and politician in Nova Scotia
• Sir William Cusack-Smith, 2nd Baronet (1766–1836), Irish baronet, politician, and judge
• Sir William James Smith (1853–1912), British judge who served as the chief justice of the Supreme Court of Cyprus, British Guiana and the Transvaal
• William Nimmo Smith, Lord Nimmo Smith (born 1942), former senator of the College of Justice and judge of the Supreme Courts of Scotland

United Kingdom

• William Smith (Royal Navy officer) (died 1756), served as commander-in-chief of the Jamaica Station and rose to rear admiral
• William Danvers Smith, 2nd Viscount Hambleden (1868–1928), known as Frederick Smith, officer in the British Army
• William Douglas Smith (1865–1939), British general
• Sir Sidney Smith (Royal Navy officer) (William Sidney Smith, 1764–1840), British admiral
• William Thomas Smith (1896–1994), World War I flying ace
• William Watson Smith (1892–?), World War I flying ace
• William Smith (c. 1872–1941), master of the SS Sauternes, English merchant seaman killed in World War II

United States and American colonies

Other countries

• William Duncan Smith (1825–1862), US Army officer and Confederate general
• William James Lanyon Smith, New Zealand naval officer
• William Osborne Smith (1833–1887), first acting commissioner of the North West Mounted Police, Canada
• William Smith (Virginia governor) (1797–1887), governor of Virginia (1846–1849, 1864–1865) and Confederate general

Australia

• William Collard Smith (1830–1894), treasurer in colonial Victoria (Australia)
• William Laird Smith (1869–1942), Australian representative for Denison, 1910–1922 and Minister for the Navy, 1920–1921
• William Forgan Smith (1887–1953), premier of the Australian state of Queensland, 1932–1942
• William Kennedy Smith (Australian politician) (1888–1933)

Canada

• William Smith (Nova Scotia politician) (died 1779), merchant, judge and politician in Nova Scotia
• Amor De Cosmos (William Alexander Smith, 1825–1897), premier of British Columbia
• William Henry Smith (Canadian politician) (1826–1890), lawyer and political figure in Nova Scotia, Canada
• William Smith (Ontario politician) (1847–1931), member of Canadian House of Commons 1887–1921
• William C. Smith (politician) (1875–1968), politician from Alberta, Canada
• William Haslam Smith (1891–1958), businessman and political figure in Nova Scotia, Canada
• William Duncan Smith (politician) (1899–1977), Canadian politician in the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
• Bill Smith (Alberta politician) (born 1934), former mayor of Edmonton
• William Smith (Newfoundland politician) (1910–1965), politician in Newfoundland
• J. William Smith (1868–1937), member of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick

United Kingdom

• William Goldsmith alias Smith (died 1517), MP for Gloucester
• William Smith (fl. 1553–54), MP for Newport (Cornwall)
• William Smith (died 1591), MP for Wells
• William Smith (MP for Ripon) (1550–1626)
• William Smith (MP for Aylesbury) (1568–1620), MP for Aylesbury, 1604
• William Smith (British civil servant) (1721–1803), of Chichester, UK, treasurer of the ordnance
• William Smith (abolitionist) (1756–1835), grandfather of Florence Nightingale, dissenter and British MP
• William Smith of Carbeth Guthrie (1787–1871), Lord Provost of Glasgow
• William Henry Smith (1825–1891), MP and cabinet minister (First Lord of the Admiralty, war secretary)
• William Masters Smith (1802–1861), member of parliament for West Kent
• William Smith (1849–1913), member of parliament for North Lonsdale, 1892–1895
• William Smith, 3rd Viscount Hambleden (1903–1948), British peer
• William Smith, 4th Viscount Hambleden (1930–2012), British peer
• William Smith (loyalist) (1954–2016), Northern Irish loyalist politician

United States

Other countries

• William Smith (registrar) (1816–1895), Ghanaian civil servant
• Sir William Cusack-Smith, 2nd Baronet (1766–1836), Irish baronet, politician, and judge
• William Ephraim Smith (1829–1890), member of the Confederate (1863–1865) and U.S. (1875–1881) House of Representatives from Georgia
• William Mein Smith (1798–1869), key actor in the early settlement of New Zealand's capital city, Wellington
• William Cowper Smith (1843–1911), Liberal Party member of parliament in New Zealand

Botany and ecology

• William Smith (conservationist) (1852–1942), New Zealand gardener, naturalist and conservationist
• William Gardner Smith (botanist) (1866–1928), Scottish botanist and ecologist
• William Wragg Smith (1808–1875), American planter, lawyer, naturalist, translator and poet
• William Wright Smith (1875–1956), Scottish botanist and horticulturalist

Medicine and psychology

• William Smith (physician), Scottish American physician
• William George Smith (1866–1918), Scottish psychologist
• William Pitt Smith (1760–1796), American physician, educator and theological writer
• William R. Smith (physician) (born 1973), American emergency physician and wilderness medicine consultant
• William Robert Smith (physician) (1850–1932), British public health expert
• William Tyler Smith (1815–1873), English obstetrician, medical writer and journalist
• Willie W. Smith (1907–1989), American physiologist

Other fields in science and engineering

• Bill Smith (Motorola engineer) (1929–1993), one of the creators of Six Sigma
• William Smith (geologist) (1769–1839), English geologist

American football

• Bill Smith (American football, born 1912) (1912–1999), end
• Earthquake Smith (William Gerald Smith, 1926–2009), tackle and end
• Billy Ray Smith Jr. (1961–2026)
• Billy Ray Smith Sr. (1935–2001)
• Billy Smith (running back) (born c. 1970)
• Wee Willie Smith (American football) (1910–1996)
• William F. Smith (American football) (1888–?), college player and coach
• Willie Smith (American football coach) (1931–2016), head college football coach for the North Carolina Central University Eagles
• Willie Smith (offensive tackle, born 1937)
• Willie Smith (offensive tackle, born 1986)
• Willie Smith (tight end) (born 1964)
• Will Smith (defensive end) (1981–2016)
• Will Smith (linebacker, born 1992)

Association football

• Bill Smith (footballer, born 1887) (1887–1929), English footballer with Brentford, Southampton and Halifax Town
• Bill Smith (footballer, born 1897) (1897–?), English footballer with Durham City and York City
• Bill Smith (footballer, born 1906) (1906–1979), English footballer with Norwich City and Exeter City
• Bill Smith (footballer, born 1926) (1926–2014), English footballer with Birmingham City and Blackburn Rovers
• Bill Smith (footballer, born 1938), Scottish footballer with Raith Rovers and Darlington
• Bill Smith (soccer), Canadian soccer player, active 1943–1963
• Billy Smith (footballer, born 1872) (1872–?), English footballer with Wolverhampton Wanderers
• Billy Smith (footballer, born 1873) (1873–1914), Scottish footballer for Newcastle United
• Billy Smith (footballer, born 1882) (1882–?), English footballer for West Bromwich Albion and Birmingham
• Billy Smith (footballer, born 1895) (1895–1951), English footballer with Huddersfield Town
• Billy Smith (footballer, born 1900) (1900–?), English footballer with Hartlepool United, Huddersfield Town and Rochdale
• Billy Smith (footballer, born 1906) (1906–1963), English footballer with South Shields, Portsmouth and Stockport County
• Billy Smith (Scottish footballer) (1931–2009), Scottish footballer with Aberdeen
• Buxton Smith (William Smith), English footballer with Buxton and Manchester City
• Stockport Smith (William Smith), English footballer with Stockport and Manchester United
• William A. Smith (footballer), English footballer with Blackburn Rovers
• William Smith (footballer, born 1865) (1865–?), English goalkeeper with Burnley
• William Smith (footballer, born 1868) (1868–1907), English footballer with Lincoln City, Loughborough, Notts County and Nottingham Forest
• William Smith (footballer, born 1886) (1886–1956), footballer with Bradford City and Stoke
• William Smith (footballer, born 1903) (1903–?), English footballer
• William Smith (Scottish footballer), footballer with Hibernian
• Willie Smith (footballer, born 1909), Scottish footballer see List of AFC Bournemouth players
• Willie Smith (footballer, born 1943), Scottish footballer with Brentford
• Willie Smith (footballer, born 1948), English footballer with Wimbledon
• Will Smith (footballer, born 1998), English footballer for Harrogate Town
• Will Smith (footballer, born 2005), English footballer for Stoke City
• W. J. Smith (1893–1957), known as Billy, football manager, Aston Villa

Baseball

• Big Bill Smith (1869–?), Negro leagues baseball catcher and manager
• Bill Smith (baseball executive) (born 1958), Minnesota Twins general manager
• Bill Smith (baseball manager), National Association player-manager for the Baltimore Marylands
• Bill Smith (pitcher) (1934–1997), American left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball, 1958–59; 1962
• Bill Smith (outfielder) (1865–1886), American baseball outfielder for the 1884 Cleveland Blues
• Billy Smith (baseball coach) (born 1930), American minor league first baseman and manager and Major League coach and scout
• Billy Smith (1980s pitcher) (1954–2025), American pitcher in Major League Baseball, 1981
• Billy Smith (1880s pitcher) (1861–1928), American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball, 1886
• Billy Smith (second baseman) (born 1953), American infielder in Major League Baseball, 1975–79; 1981
• Willie Smith (outfielder) (1939–2006), American outfielder in Major League Baseball, 1963–1971
• Willie Smith (third baseman), American third baseman in Negro league baseball, 1938
• Willie Smith (1940s pitcher), American pitcher in Negro league baseball, 1948
• Willie Smith (1990s pitcher) (born 1967), American pitcher in Major League Baseball, 1994
• Will Smith (pitcher) (born 1989), American pitcher in Major League Baseball
• Will Smith (catcher) (born 1995), American baseball catcher
• Dark Night Smith (William C. Smith), American pitcher in Negro league baseball, 1920–1924

Basketball

• Bill Smith (basketball, born 1939) (1939–2023), American basketball player
• Wee Willie Smith (1911–1992), American basketball player
• William Smith (basketball, born 1949), American basketball player
• Willie Smith (basketball) (born 1953), American professional basketball player

Cricket

• Bill Smith (cricketer) (1937–2018), English cricketer
• William Brook-Smith (1885–1952), New Zealand cricketer
• William Smith (cricketer, born 1839) (1839–1897), first class cricketer for Yorkshire
• William Smith (cricketer, born 1875) (1875–1942), first-class cricketer for London County
• William Smith (cricketer, born 1882) (1882–?), English cricketer
• William Smith (cricketer, born 1900) (1900–1990), English cricketer
• William Smith (cricketer, born 1902) (1902–1937), Scottish cricketer
• William Smith (Kent cricketer) (1819–1883), English cricketer
• William Smith (Somerset cricketer) (1871–1946), English cricketer
• Willie Smith (cricketer) (1885–1964), English cricketer
• Will Smith (cricketer) (born 1982), English cricketer

Rugby football

• Bill Smith, Australian rugby league footballer in the Bulimba Cup
• Bill Smith, rugby league right wing of the 1950s for Whitehaven
• Billy Smith (rugby league, born 1942) (1942–2026), Australian rugby league footballer
• Billy Smith (rugby league, born 1999), Professional rugby league footballer
• W. Smith (rugby league) (1886–1918), Australian rugby league footballer
• Will Smith (rugby league) (born 1992), Australian rugby league footballer
• William Smith (rugby union) (1881–1945), New Zealand rugby union player
• Bill Smith (rugby league) (1904–1987), Australian rugby league footballer

Track and field

• Bill Smith (fell runner) (1936–2011), fell runner and author on the sport
• Willie Smith (hurdler) (born 1977), Namibian track and field hurdler
• Willie Smith (sprinter) (1956–2020), American 400 metres runner

Other individual sports

• Bill Smith (motorcyclist) (born 1935), former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer
• Bill Smith (poker player) (1934–1996), professional poker player
• Bill Smith (swimmer) (1924–2013), two-time gold medalist in the 1948 Olympic games
• Mysterious Billy Smith (1871–1937), Canadian boxer
• William Alexander Smith (boxer) (1904–1955), South African boxer of the 1920s
• William Smith (cyclist, born 1893) (1893–1958), South African Olympic cyclist
• William Smith (cyclist, born 2004), British cyclist
• William Smith (sport shooter) (1877–1953), Canadian Olympic sport shooter
• William Smith (wrestler) (1928–2018), 1952 Olympic gold medalist
• Willie Smith (billiards player) (1886–1982), English professional player of snooker and English billiards
• Willie Smith (golfer) (1876–1916), Scottish golfer

Other team-only sports

• Bill Smith (Australian rules footballer) (1936–2010), Australian rules footballer for Fitzroy
• Billy Smith (Australian footballer) (1894–1953), played with North Melbourne in the Victorian Football League
• Billy Dee Smith (born 1982), Canadian former professional lacrosse player
• Billy Smith (ice hockey) (born 1950), Canadian ice hockey goaltender
• Will Smith (ice hockey) (born 2005), American ice hockey forward
• William Smith (field hockey) (1886–1937), British field hockey player who competed in the 1920 Summer Olympics
• Willie Smith (hurler) (born 1944), Irish hurler