William Paterson (December 24 1745 - September 9, 1806) was a New Jersey statesman, a signer of the United States Constitution, and Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court, who served as the 2nd governor of New Jersey, from 1790 to 1793.

William Paterson was born on December 24 1745, in County Antrim, in Ireland, moved to what is the United States at age 2, and entered the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University) at age 14. After graduating, he studied law with the prominent lawyer Richard Stockton and was admitted to the bar in 1768.

Paterson became an outspoken supporter of American independence. He was selected as Somerset County, New Jersey delegate for the first three provincial congresses of New Jersey, where as secretary he recorded the 1776 New Jersey State Constitution.

After Independence, Paterson was appointed as the first Attorney General of New Jersey, serving from 1776-1783, maintaining law and order and establishing himself as one of the state's most prominent lawyers. He was sent to the 1787 Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where he proposed the New Jersey Plan for a unicameral legislative body with equal representation from each state. After the Great Compromise (for two legislative bodies: a Senate with equal representation for each state, and a House of Representatives with representation based on population), the Constitution was signed.

He served as Governor of New Jersey and in the New Jersey Senate, where he oversaw the revision and codification of the entire state legal system. George Washington appointed him associate justice of the United States Supreme Court in 1793, where he served until his death (from the lingering effects of a coach accident suffered in 1803 while on circuit court duty in New Jersey) on September 9 1806 in Albany, New York, aged 60. He is buried in Albany Rural Cemetery in Albany.

Paterson, New Jersey, and William Paterson University are named after him.

Sir William Paterson (born April, 1658 in Tinwald, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland - died in Westminster, London, on January 22, 1719) was a Scottish trader and banker.

Colonel William Paterson (17 August 1755, Montrose, Scotland – 21 June 1810, off Cape Horn) was a Scottish soldier, explorer, and botanist best known for leading early settlement in Tasmania.

Sent to the Cape by the wealthy and eccentric Countess of Strathmore to collect plants, he arrived in Table Bay on board the "Houghton" in May 1777. He made four trips into the interior between May 1777 and March 1780, when he departed.

Paterson was originally commissioned in the 98th Regiment of Foot, but transferred to the 73rd Regiment of Foot after the 98th's disbandment in 1787.

In 1794, Lieutenant-Colonel William Paterson, from the New South Wales Corps, granted more land and convict servants to the military, giving them great powers and undermining Governor Arthur Phillip's good naval government.

He led an expedition to the Hunter Valley in 1801 and up the Paterson River (later named in his honour by Governor King).

Between 1804 and 1808 he was the Lieutenant Governor of the north of Van Diemen's Land.

In 1804 he led an expedition to Port Dalrymple, Tasmania, exploring the Tamar River and going up the North Esk River farther than anyone previously had managed to do.

In 1806 his duties as commander of the New South Wales Corps required him to return to Sydney, but he came back in 1807, and stayed until December 1808. During this time he corresponded regularly with the eminent naturalist Sir Joseph Banks, sending a number of specimens.

Paterson was appointed Lieutenant Governor of New South Wales on 1 January 1809, and was replaced by Lachlan Macquarie at the end of the year. His health had begun to decline; he left Sydney on 12 May 1810, but died on board ship while off Cape Horn just a few weeks later.

William Paterson (September 19 1839 - March 18 1914) was a Canadian politician.

Born in Hamilton, Upper Canada, Patterson was a confectioner prior to his election to the Canadian House of Commons in the Brant South riding in the 1872 election. The Liberal politician was re-elected in 1874, 1878, 1882, 1887, and 1891. He was defeated in the 1896 election but was elected in a 1896 by-election in Grey North, when the candidate elected for this riding died before the opening of the 9th Parliament. In 1900, he was elected in the riding of Wentworth North and Brant. He was elected in 1904 and 1908 in the riding of Brant but was defeated in 1911. From 1896 to 1897, he was Controller of Customs and from 1897 to 1911 was Minister of Customs.

William 'Bill' Paterson (born 25 February 1935 in Kinlochleven, Scotland) is a former Scottish football defender.

Paterson started his career with Doncaster Rovers in 1950 but he left to sign for Newcastle United, after five seasons with the club. He had a relatively unsuccessful three years on Tyneside and so returned to Scotland to join Rangers. His debut came on the 13 August 1958 in a 2-1 home league win against Partick Thistle. That was the first of three appearances that he would make that entire season.

Overall Paterson did go on to make 116 top team appearances for the club and won two League championships. He also claimed a Scottish Cup, a Scottish League Cup, a Charity Cup winners medal and was a part of the Rangers side that lost to Fiorentina in the 1961 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup Final final.

He left Ibrox in 1962 and joined Greenock Morton but never made a single league appearance for the club.