Vice-Admiral William Waldegrave, 8th Earl Waldegrave CB (27 October 1788 – 24 October 1859) was a British naval commander and politician.
In 1802, he became a Midshipman in the Royal Navy, rising to the ranks of Lieutenant in 1806 and Commander in 1809.
He fought during the War of 1812, commanding frigate HMS Macedonian (which was later captured by the United States).
On his return to England, he married Elizabeth Whitbread, the daughter of Samuel Whitbread and took over from his father-in-law's post as Member of Parliament (MP) for Bedford in 1815.
He retired from the navy in 1846 as a rear-admiral, inherited his childless nephew's titles in 1846 and was married for a second time that year, to Sarah Milward, née Whitear.