• David Williams (academic) (1786–1860), Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University, 1856–1858
• David Glyndwr Tudor Williams (1930–2009), Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge, 1989–1996
• David Williams (medievalist) (1939–2015), professor and author
• David B. Williams (academic), dean of the College of Engineering at the Ohio State University
• David R. Williams (professor) (born 1954), Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health professor
• David Vernon Williams, New Zealand professor of law

• David B. Williams (artist) (1947–2009), Ojibway aboriginal painter and printmaker from Canada
• David E. Williams (1933–1985), Kiowa-Tonkawa-Kiowa Apache painter from Oklahoma
• David A. Williams (comic artist), American comic book illustrator, animation artist and artist of Piranha Press
• David C. Williams (film composer), American film composer
• David L. Williams (film director), British filmmaker
• David Williams (film distributor) from Raymond Longford Award
• David Williams (producer), film director and producer for ADV Films
• David Williams (guitarist) (1950–2009), American session guitarist
• Dave Williams (singer) (1972–2002), American rock singer
• David "Happy" Williams, Trinidadian jazz double-bassist
• David John Williams (born 1986), Welsh historian and musician formerly with The Dear & Departed
• David Williams (born 1986), Welsh guitarist and bassist in Son of Dork
• David Williams (Australian indigenous musician) (born 1983), Aboriginal musician and artist
• David Williams (Australian musician), member of Augie March
• David Williams, the head of Shock Records
• Dave Williams (radio announcer) (born 1971), Australian radio host
• David Gwyn Williams (1904–1990), Welsh poet, novelist, translator and academic
• David Williams (author), Washington State Book Award
• David Williams (crime writer) (1926–2003), advertising executive and crime writer
• David J. Williams (born 1971), American science fiction writer and video game writer
• David Williams (screenwriter), British television screenwriter
• David Dougal Williams (1888–1944), British artist and art teacher

• David Williams (died 1613), MP for Brecon
• David Williams (Merioneth) (1799–1869), Member of Parliament for Merioneth, 1868–1870
• David Williams (Swansea East MP) (1865–1941), Labour Member of Parliament for Swansea East, 1922–1940
• D. J. Williams (politician) (David James Williams, 1897–1972), British miner and checkweighman who became a Labour Party Member of Parliament
• Delwyn Williams (David John Delwyn Williams, born 1938), British Conservative politician, MP 1979–1983
• David Williams (British politician), Leader of Richmond upon Thames Council 1983–2001
• David Williams (trade unionist) (born 1926), Welsh trade unionist
• David Williams (Australian politician) (born 1941), former Australian politician
• David Williams-Thomas, High Sheriff of the West Midlands
• David Rogerson Williams (1776–1830), Governor of South Carolina, 1814–1816
• David C. Williams (politician), member of the California legislature
• David G. Williams (died 1903), member of the Wisconsin legislature
• Dave Williams (Colorado politician), state representative from Colorado Springs
• David L. Williams (politician) (born 1953), Kentucky judge, former President of Kentucky Senate and 2011 gubernatorial nominee
• David B. Williams (politician) (1919–1994), American jurist and politician, Massachusetts House of Representatives
• David W. Williams (1910–2000), American federal judge
• David Williams (judge) from Justice of the King's Bench
• David C. Williams (Inspector General), American inspector general
• David Williams (space administrator) (born 1951), Director General of the British National Space Centre

• David Williams (1709–1784), Independent minister and schoolmaster
• David Williams (philosopher) (1738–1816), ordained minister, theologian, political polemicist
• David Williams (Archdeacon of Cardigan died 1929) (1841–1929), Archdeacon of Cardigan, 1903–1928
• David Williams (archbishop of Huron) (1853–1931), Anglican Bishop of Huron and later Metropolitan of Ontario in the 20th century
• David Williams (Archdeacon of Cardigan died 1936) (1862–1936), Archdeacon of Cardigan, 1928–1936
• David Williams (Methodist minister) (1877–1927), Welsh theologian and minister
• David Rhys Williams (1890–1970), American Unitarian minister
• David Williams (bishop of Basingstoke) (born 1961), Anglican bishop suffragan in the Church of England Diocese of Winchester

• David Williams (geologist) (1792–1850), English geologist and priest
• David Williams (geologist born 1898) (1898–1984), British professor of geology
• David Hiram Williams (1812–1848), Welsh geological surveyor
• David Williams (astronomer) (born 1937), British astrochemist
• Dafydd Williams (born 1954), Canadian astronaut
• Sir David Innes Williams (1919–2013), British paediatric urologist

Football and rugby

• David Williams (offensive lineman) (born 1966), American football offensive lineman
• Dave Williams (running back) (born 1954), former professional American football player
• Dave Williams (wide receiver) (born 1945), American former NFL player
• David Williams (wide receiver) (born 1963), American football player at the University of Illinois
• D. J. Williams (tight end) (born 1988), player of American football from Arkansas
• David Williams (defensive back) from Atlanta Falcons draft history
• David Williams (rugby union) (c. 1894–?), rugby union player who represented Australia
• Dave Williams (rugby league, born 1967), rugby league footballer of the 1990s for Wales, Welsh Students, and South Wales Dragons
• David Williams (rugby league) (born 1986), Australian rugby league player
• Dave Williams (rugby league) (born 1989), rugby league footballer for Harlequins RL
• David Williams (footballer, born 1931), English footballer
• David Williams (footballer, born 1955), Welsh football (soccer) coach and former player for Bristol Rovers
• David Williams (footballer, born 1968), English football goalkeeper
• David Williams (footballer, born 1988), Australian football player
• David Williams (Australian rules footballer) (born 1961), former Australian rules footballer
• Dave Williams (Welsh footballer) (1942–2015), Welsh football coach and player for Newport County
• David Williams (running back) (born 1994), American football running back

Baseball and cricket

• Dave Williams (1900s pitcher) (1881–1918), Major League Baseball pitcher during 1902 season
• David Williams (2000s pitcher) (born 1979), Major League Baseball pitcher
• David Williams (cricketer, born 1948) from Douglas Harrop
• David Williams (cricketer) (born 1963), West Indian cricketer