William Chappell (20 November 1809 - 20 August 1888) was an English writer on music, a member of the London musical firm of Chappell and Company .

He was the eldest son of Samuel Chappell (d. 1834), who founded the business. William Chappell is particularly noteworthy for his starting the Musical Antiquarian Society in 1840, and his publication of the standard work Popular Music of the Olden Time (1855-1859) an expansion of a collection of national English airs made by him in 1838-1840. The modern revival of interest in English folk songs owes much to this work, which has since been re-edited by Professor H. E. Wooldridge (1893).

His brother, Thomas Patey Chappell (d. 1902), meanwhile had largely extended the publishing business, and had started (1859) the Monday and Saturday Popular Concerts at St James Hall, which were successfully managed by a younger brother, S. Arthur Chappell , till they came to an end towards the close of the century.