Vice Admiral William Fitzwilliam Owen (17 September 1774 – 3 November 1857), was a British naval officer and explorer.

In 1788 at age 13 he embarked as a midshipman in Rich's ship, HMS Culloden, and from that time the Royal Navy was his life.

In October Nelson gave Owen command over the King George as well, with secret instructions to launch a burning Nancy at the French fleet.

Owen mapped the entire east African coast from the Cape to the Horn of Africa between 1821 and 1826 in the sloop Leven and in company with the brig Barracouta.

[2] In the final action of his naval career, between September 1842 and December 1847, he conducted the definitive survey of the Bay of Fundy for the Admiralty.

Vice Admiral Owen was twice married: first in January 1818 to Martha Evans with whom he had two daughters (see Captain John James Robinson-Owen), secondly 11 December 1852 in Saint John, New Brunswick to Amy (née Vernon) Nicholson widow of Captain Thomas L. Nicholson (see William Johnstone Ritchie).

A species of African chameleon, Trioceros oweni, was named in his honor by British zoologist John Edward Gray in 1831.