Names beginning with W

• W. B. YeatsIrish poet and playwright (1865–1939)

  June 13, 1865 – January 28, 1939
• W. E. B. Du BoisAmerican sociologist and activist (1868–1963)

  February 23, 1868 – August 27, 1963
• W. H. AudenBritish-American poet (1907–1973)

  February 21, 1907 – September 29, 1973
• W. K. KelloggAmerican businessman (1860–1951)

  being archived
• W. Scott StornettaAmerican physicist
• W. Z. AhmedPakistani filmmaker

  December 20, 1916 – April 15, 2007
• Waheed MuradPakistani film actor, producer and script writer (1938–1983)

  October 2, 1938 – November 23, 1983
• Waheeda RehmanIndian actress

  b. May 14, 1938
• Wahiduddin KhanIslamic Scholar (1925–2021)

  January 1, 1925 – April 21, 2021
• Wallada bint al-MustakfiAl-Andalus poet

  d. March 26, 1091
• Wallis SimpsonAmerican socialite and wife of the Duke of Windsor (1896-1986)

  June 19, 1896 – April 24, 1986
• Walt DisneyAnimator and showman who industrialized imagination

  December 5, 1901 – December 15, 1966
• Walt WhitmanAmerican poet, essayist and journalist (1819–1892)

  May 31, 1819 – March 26, 1892
• Walter BenjaminGerman cultural critic, philosopher and social critic (1892–1940)

  July 15, 1892 – September 26, 1940
• Walter Chrysler(1875-1940) American automotive industry executive

  being archived
• Walter GropiusGerman-American architect (1883–1969)

  May 18, 1883 – July 5, 1969
• Walter KieberPrime Minister of Liechtenstein (1931-2014)

  February 20, 1931 – June 21, 2014
• Walter PaytonAmerican football running back, Pro Football Hall of Famer (1954-1999)

  being archived
• Walter RaleighEnglish statesman, soldier and writer (1552–1618)

  January 22, 1552 – October 29, 1618
• Walter RothschildBritish banker and zoologist (1868–1937)

  being archived
• Walter ScottScottish novelist, poet and playwright (1771–1832)

  August 15, 1771 – September 21, 1832
• Walther von der VogelweideGerman minstrel singer (c. 1170 – c. 1230)

  1170 – 1230
• Wang ChuanfuChinese chemist and manager

  being archived
• Wang JianlinChinese businessman

  being archived
• Wang XizhiChinese calligrapher (c. 321 – c. 361)

  321 CE – 361 CE
• Wang YangmingChinese philosopher and general (1472–1529)

  October 31, 1472 – January 9, 1529
• Wangari MaathaiKenyan environmentalist and politician who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004 (1940–2011)

  April 1, 1940 – September 25, 2011
• Waqar YounisPakistani cricketer

  being archived
• Waqar ZakaPakistani television host and internet personality
• Waris Ali ShahIndian Sufi saint

  1817 – 1905
• Waris ShahPunjabi poet (1722-1798)

  January 23, 1722 – June 24, 1798
• Warren BuffettAmerican investor, entrepreneur and businessman

  b. August 30, 1930
• Warren StephensAmerican chief executive and diplomat (born 1957)

  being archived
• Wasif Ali WasifPakistani scholar (1929–1993)

  January 15, 1929 – January 18, 1993
• Wasim AkramPakistani cricketer

  being archived
• Wassily KandinskyAvant-garde painter of Russian origin (1866-1944)

  December 4, 1866 – December 13, 1944
• Wat Tyler14th-century English rebel

  d. June 15, 1381
• Wayne GretzkyCanadian ice hockey player and coach (born 1961)

  b. January 26, 1961
• Wayne RooneyEnglish footballer and manager

  being archived
• Wazir Akbar KhanEmir of Afghanistan (1842-1845)

  October 15, 1816 – 1845
• Wei DaiCryptographer, creator of Crypto++, and author of the b-money proposal
• Wen Jiabao6th Premier of the People's Republic of China from 2003 to 2013 (born 1942)

  being archived
• Wen TianxiangChinese politician of the Song Dynasty

  June 6, 1236 – January 9, 1283
• Wences CasaresArgentine businessman

  b. February 26, 1974
• Wenceslaus I, Duke of BohemiaDuke and saint

  907 CE – September 28, 935 CE
• Werner HeisenbergGerman theoretical physicist and nobel prize winner (1901–1976)

  December 5, 1901 – February 1, 1976
• Werner von SiemensGerman electrical engineer, inventor and industrialist (1816–1892)

  being archived
• Wernher von BraunGerman and later American aerospace engineer and space architect (1912–1977)

  March 23, 1912 – June 16, 1977
• Wes AndersonAmerican filmmaker (born 1969)

  being archived
• Wesley SiminaFederated States of Micronesia politician

  b. September 10, 1961
• Whitney HoustonAmerican singer, actress, and film producer (1963–2012)

  August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012
• Whitney Wolfe HerdAmerican businesswoman

  being archived
• Whoopi GoldbergAmerican actress, comedian, author and television personality

  b. November 13, 1955
• WidukindDuke of Saxony

  755 CE – c. 900 CE
• Wilbur WrightAmerican aviation pioneer (1867-1912)

  April 16, 1867 – May 30, 1912
• Wilfred OwenEnglish poet and soldier (1893-1918)

  March 18, 1893 – November 4, 1918
• Wilfred the HairyCount of Barcelona and other Catalan counties (died 897)

  d. August 11, 897 CE
• Wilhelm GrimmGerman author, philologist, collector of fairy tales and legends (1786–1859)

  February 24, 1786 – December 16, 1859
• Wilhelm RontgenGerman physicist (1845–1923)

  March 27, 1845 – February 10, 1923
• Wilhelmina of the NetherlandsQueen of the Netherlands from 1890 to 1948 (1880-1962)

  August 31, 1880 – November 28, 1962
• Wiliame Katonivere6th President of Fiji (2021-2024)

  b. April 20, 1964
• Will SmithAmerican actor, film producer and rapper (born 1968)

  b. September 25, 1968
• Willa CatherAmerican writer (1873–1947)

  December 7, 1873 – April 24, 1947
• William AdelinDuke of Normandy

  August 5, 1103 – November 25, 1120
• William Alexander of the NetherlandsKing of the Netherlands (born 1967)

  b. April 27, 1967
• William BlakeEnglish poet and artist (1757–1827)

  November 28, 1757 – August 12, 1827
• William BoeingAmerican aviation pioneer

  being archived
• William C. DurantAmerican automotive businessman (1861–1947)

  being archived
• William CaxtonEnglish merchant and printer (c. 1422–c. 1491)

  1422 – 1491
• William ClarkAmerican explorer, soldier, Indian agent, and territorial governor (1770-1838)

  August 1, 1770 – September 1, 1838
• William DunbarAmerican politician (1805-1861)

  1805 – March 18, 1861
• William FaulknerAmerican writer (1897-1962)

  September 25, 1897 – July 6, 1962
• William GladstoneBritish Liberal prime minister (1809–1898)

  December 29, 1809 – May 19, 1898
• William HarveyEnglish physician (1578-1657)

  April 1, 1578 – June 3, 1657
• William Henry VanderbiltAmerican businessman and philanthropist (1821–1885)

  being archived
• William HerschelGerman-born British astronomer and composer (1738–1822)

  November 15, 1738 – August 15, 1822
• William HogarthEnglish painter, printmaker, pictorial satirist, social critic and editorial cartoonist (1697-1764)

  November 10, 1697 – October 26, 1764
• William I of the NetherlandsKing of the Netherlands and Grand Duke of Luxembourg 1815-1840 (1772-1843)

  August 24, 1772 – December 12, 1843
• William II of EnglandKing of England from 1087 to 1100

  1060 – August 2, 1100
• William II of the NetherlandsKing of the Netherlands and Grand Duke of Luxembourg from 1840 to 1849 (1792-1849)

  December 6, 1792 – March 17, 1849
• William III of the NetherlandsKing of the Netherlands and Grand Duke of Luxembourg (1817-1890)

  February 19, 1817 – November 23, 1890
• William IX, Duke of AquitaineDuke of Aquitaine and Gascony and Count of Poitou

  October 22, 1071 – February 10, 1126
• William JamesResearcher, ORCID id # 0000-0002-2506-1198

  January 11, 1842 – August 26, 1910
• William LanglandEnglish writer

  1332 – 1386
• William Lloyd GarrisonAmerican investment banker

  December 5, 1874 – February 23, 1964
• William Makepeace ThackerayBritish novelist (1811–1863)

  July 18, 1811 – December 24, 1863
• William MarshalAnglo-Norman soldier and statesman (1146-1219)

  1146 – May 14, 1219
• William McKinleyPresident of the United States from 1897 to 1901 (1843-1901)

  January 29, 1843 – September 14, 1901
• William OslerCanadian physician and co-founder of Johns Hopkins Hospital (1849–1919)

  July 12, 1849 – December 29, 1919
• William Pitt the YoungerBritish statesman (1759–1806)

  May 28, 1759 – January 23, 1806
• William Randolph HearstAmerican newspaper publisher (1863–1951)

  being archived
• William RockefellerAmerican financier, businessman, and Standard Oil co-founder (1841-1922)

  being archived
• William RutoPresident of Kenya since 2022

  being archived
• William S. PaleyAmerican television executive and art collector (1901-1990)

  being archived
• William ShakespeareEnglish playwright and poet, the most performed dramatist in history

  1564 – April 23, 1616
• William Tecumseh ShermanUnited States Army general (1820–1891)

  February 8, 1820 – February 14, 1891
• William TyndaleEnglish Bible translator and reformer

  1494 – October 6, 1536
• William WallaceScottish composer and writer (1860-1940)

  July 3, 1860 – December 16, 1940
• William WilberforceEnglish politician and abolitionist (1759–1833)

  August 24, 1759 – July 29, 1833
• William WordsworthEnglish Romantic poet (1770–1850)

  April 7, 1770 – April 23, 1850
• William Wrigley Jr.American businessman (1861-1932)

  being archived
• William of OckhamEnglish Franciscan friar and theologian (c.1287–1347)

  1285 – April 9, 1349
• William of TyreMedieval prelate and chronicler, archbishop of Tyre

  1130 – 1186
• William the ConquerorKing of England from 1066 to 1087, Duke of Normandy from 1035 to 1087 (1028–1087)

  November 8, 1028 – September 9, 1087
• William the SilentDutch statesman and revolt leader (1533-1584)

  April 24, 1533 – July 10, 1584
• WillibrordHistorical figure
• Willie MaysAmerican baseball player (1931–2024)

  May 6, 1931 – June 18, 2024
• Willie NelsonAmerican country musician (born 1933)

  b. April 29, 1933
• Willy BrandtGerman politician (SPD), chancellor of West Germany (1969–1974) and Nobel Peace Prize laureate

  December 18, 1913 – October 8, 1992
• Willy TelaviPrime Minister of Tuvalu

  being archived
• Willy WooBitcoin on-chain analyst
• Wilma RudolphAmerican athlete (1940–1994)

  June 23, 1940 – November 12, 1994
• Wilson Jones (billiards)1795 - 1864 (Mr)

  1795 – October 27, 1864
• Wilt ChamberlainAmerican basketball player (1936–1999)

  August 21, 1936 – October 12, 1999
• Wim KokDutch politician (1938–2018)

  September 29, 1938 – October 20, 2018
• Win Myint10th President of Myanmar

  being archived
• Winnie MandelaSouth African activist and politician (1936-2018)

  September 26, 1936 – April 2, 2018
• Winona RyderAmerican actress

  being archived
• Winslow HomerAmerican landscape painter (1836–1910)

  February 24, 1836 – September 29, 1910
• Winston ChurchillBritish Prime Minister who led the defiance of Nazi Germany

  November 30, 1874 – January 24, 1965
• Winthrop RockefellerGovernor of Arkansas (1912-1973)

  being archived
• WiteloPolish-German scholar

  1230 – 1275
• Witold PileckiPolish underground resistance soldier, World War II concentration camp resistance leader (1901-1948)

  May 13, 1901 – May 25, 1948
• WizkidNigerian singer and songwriter (born 1990)

  being archived
• Wladimir van der LaanBitcoin core maintainer
• Wladyslaw II JagielloKing of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania (1362-1434)

  1362 – June 1, 1434
• Wole SoyinkaNigerian writer (born 1934)

  b. July 13, 1934
• Wolfgang Amadeus MozartProdigy composer of over 600 works of enduring genius

  January 27, 1756 – December 5, 1791
• Wolfgang PauliPhysicist, Nobel prize winner (1900–1958)

  April 25, 1900 – December 15, 1958
• Wolfram von EschenbachGerman knight and poet (1170–1220)

  1170 – 1220
• Wong Kar-waiChinese-born Hong Kong filmmaker (born 1958)

  being archived
• Woodrow Wilson28th President of the United States (1913–1921)

  December 28, 1856 – February 3, 1924
• Woody GuthrieAmerican singer-songwriter (1912–1967)

  July 14, 1912 – October 3, 1967
• Wu ZetianFounding empress of Zhou dynasty (r. 690–705); de facto ruler of Tang dynasty from 665 to 690

  February 17, 624 CE – December 16, 705 CE
• Wylie AronowHistorical figure