William Stephen Atkinson (September 1820 - 15 January 1876, Rome) was a British lepidopterist who worked for much of his life in India.William was the eldest son of Rev. Thomas D, Atkinson, of Chesterton, in Suffolk. He became interested in nature at Cannock Chase, when his father became Vicar of Rugeley. He started collecting British Lepidoptera. He went to Trinity College, Cambridge, from 1839 and passed out as 26th Wrangler in 1843.