William Burns may refer to:
- William Burnes (1721–1784), father of poet Robert Burns
- William Chalmers Burns (1815–1868), Scottish evangelist and missionary
- William Wallace Burns (1825–1892), American soldier
- William J. Burns (1861–1932), American director of the Bureau of Investigation (predecessor to the FBI) 1921–1924
- William Burns (lacrosse) (1875–1953), Canadian Olympic lacrosse player
- William Herbert Burns (1878–1964), Canadian politician and merchant
- William Burns (cricketer) (1883–1916), English cricketer
- Tosher Burns (William Burns, 1902–1984), Irish international footballer of the 1920s
- W. Haydon Burns (1912–1987), 35th Governor of Florida
- William Burns (Australian politician) (1933–2009), member of the Australian House of Representatives
- William Burns (referee) (born 1952 or 1953), English football referee
- William Joseph Burns (born 1956), United States Deputy Secretary of State
- William D. Burns (born 1973), Illinois State Representative
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Famous quotes containing the word burns:
“The best laid schemes o’ mice and men Gang aft agley;
An’ lea’e us nought but grief an’ pain, For promis’d joy!”
—Robert Burns (1759–1796)