William Paterson or Bill Paterson may refer to:

People

• Bill Paterson (actor) (born 1945), Scottish actor
• Bill Paterson (footballer, born 1897) (1897–1970), Scottish footballer for Cowdenbeath, Derby, Providence, New Bedford etc
• Bill Paterson (footballer, born 1930) (1930–2002), Scottish footballer for Doncaster, Newcastle, Rangers etc
• William Paterson (actor) (1919–2003), American actor
• William Paterson (Australian politician) (1847–1920), Australian politician
• William Paterson (banker) (1658–1719), Scottish trader, a founder of the Bank of England
• William Paterson (Canadian politician) (1839–1914), Canadian Member of Parliament and Cabinet minister
• William Paterson (explorer) (1755–1810), Scottish soldier, and botanist; former lieutenant governor of Tasmania
• William Paterson (goalkeeper) (1902–?), Scottish footballer for Dunfermline, Dundee United, Arsenal, Airdrieonians etc
• William Paterson (judge) (1745–1806), United States Founding Father, Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, and signer of the U.S. Constitution
• William Paterson (Michigan politician), Mayor of Flint, Michigan
• William Paterson (trade unionist) (1843–1906), Scottish trade unionist and fire officer
• William Paterson (wrestler), Australian Olympic wrestler
• William A. Paterson (1838–1921), American auto manufacturer and Mayor of Flint, Michigan
• William Alexander Paterson a.k.a. Bill Alexander, (born 1948), American theatre director
• William Burns Paterson (1849–1915), Scottish horticulturist, founder Alabama State University
• William Paterson Paterson (1860–1939), Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1919
• William Romaine Paterson, Scottish writer
• William Stanley Bryce Paterson a.k.a. Stan Paterson (1924–2013), glaciologist
• Willie Paterson (fl. 1913–1928), Scottish footballer for Hamilton, Motherwell, Charlton etc

Other uses

• William Paterson University, Wayne, New Jersey