William Aiton (1731, close to Hamilton, Lanarkshire - February 2nd 1793, London) is a British botanist of Scottish origin .

He learns the Jardinage then leaves his native land to gain London in 1754 where he becomes the assistant of Philip Miller, then superintendant Botanical garden of Chelsea.

In 1759, it is engaged in the new garden of the royal Botanical gardens of Kew, where it will work until its death. It will make many modifications to the gardens of Kew and it publishes in 1789 the catalog of the species which were cultivated there, the Hortus Kewensis .

One second edition, increased, will be published in 1810 - 1813 by his/her son William Townsend Aiton (1766 - 1849), which succeeds to him the gardens of Kew. It will be charged, by the king George IV, to build the gardens of the royal Pavillon of Brighton.