Sir William Edward Parry (19 December 1790 – 8 or 9 July 1855) was an English rear-admiral and Arctic explorer, who in 1827 attempts one of the earliest expeditions to the North Pole.

He reaches 82°45′ North latitude, setting the record for human exploration farthest North that stands for nearly five decades before being surpassed at 83°20′26″ by Albert Hastings Markham in 1875–1876.