Politicians

• James Wilson (1742–1798), signatory of the United States Declaration of Independence
• James Wilson (UK politician) (1805–1860), UK member of parliament and founder of The Economist magazine
• James Wilson (U.S. politician) (1835–1920), former United States Secretary of Agriculture and US Representative from Iowa
• James Wilson I (New Hampshire) (1766–1839), US Representative from New Hampshire
• James Wilson II (New Hampshire) (1797–1881), US Representative from New Hampshire, son of James Wilson I
• James Wilson (Pennsylvania) (1779–1868), US Representative from Pennsylvania
• James Wilson (Indiana) (1825–1867), US Representative from Indiana
• James Wilson (UK Labour politician) (1879–1943), UK MP, 1921–1922 and 1929–1931
• James Wilson (Ontario MPP), member of the 1st Parliament of Ontario
• James Charles Wilson (1818–1861), Wilson County, Texas was named after him
• James Clifton Wilson (1874–1951), US Representative from Texas
• James Crocket Wilson (1841–1899), member of the Parliament of Canada from Quebec
• James Falconer Wilson (1828–1895), US Senator and Representative from Iowa
• Sir James Glenny Wilson (1848–1929), New Zealand politician and farmer
• Harold Wilson (1916–1995), born James Harold Wilson, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, 1964–1970 and 1974–1976
• James J. Wilson (1775–1824), US Senator from New Jersey
• Sir James Milne Wilson (1812–1880), Premier of Tasmania, 1869–1872
• James Robert Wilson, mayor of Saskatoon and member of the Parliament of Canada
• James Wilson (Orangeman), founder of the Orange Institution

Military and revolutionary figures

• James Wilson (soldier), general in the United States Army
• James Wilson (Scottish Revolutionary), leader of the "Radical War" of 1820
• James Wilson (Irish Nationalist), Fenian involved in the Catalpa rescue of 1876
• James Wilson (WWII), World War II veteran
• James Wilson (Captain), brought the first British missionaries to Tahiti on ship Duff in 1797

Scientists, academics, and artists

• James Wilson (globe maker), Vermont globe maker
• James Wilson (composer) (1922–2005), Irish composer
• James Wilson (architect), Victorian architect in Bath and partner in Wilson & Willcox
• James French Wilson (1892–1974), professor of animal husbandry
• James G. Wilson (1915–1987), embryologist and anatomist
• James Grant Wilson (1832–1914), American soldier, editor, and author
• James Maurice Wilson (1836–1931), Canon of Worcester, theologian and science teacher
• James Q. Wilson (born 1931), professor of public policy at Pepperdine Univ
• Sir William James Erasmus Wilson (1809–1884) British surgeon

Sportsmen

• James Wilson (Australian rules footballer), winner of the Champion of the Colony award
• James Wilson (athlete) (born 1891), British athlete
• James Wilson (rugby player), New Zealand rugby union player
• James Wilson (footballer), Welsh professional footballer currently playing for Bristol City.

Fictional characters

• James Wilson (fictional character), head of oncology on the television show House

See also

• Jim Wilson (disambiguation)