| Honorific-Prefix: | The Hon. |
| William Eli Sanford | |
| Office: | Senator for Hamilton, Ontario |
| Appointed: | John A. Macdonald |
| Term Start: | February 8, 1887 |
| Term End: | July 10, 1899 |
| Birth Date: | 16 September 1838 |
| Birth Place: | New York City, New York, United States |
| Death Place: | Lake Rosseau, Ontario, Canada |
| Restingplace: | Hamilton Cemetery |
| Spouse: | Emmeline (Jackson) Sanford, Harriet Sophie (Vaux) Sanford |
| Party: | Conservative |
| Children: | Edward Jackson Sanford, Harry Vaux Sanford, Edna Blanche (Sanford) Tudor, Emma Muriel (Sanford) Henderson |
William Eli Sanford (September 16, 1838 - July 10, 1899) was a Canadian businessman, philanthropist, and politician.
Born in New York City, he was orphaned before his seventh birthday and then moved to Hamilton, Canada West, to live with his paternal aunt.
In 1887, he was summoned to the Canadian Senate. A Conservative, he represented the senatorial division of Hamilton, Ontario.
He drowned in 1899 in Lake Rosseau, Ontario. He is interred in the Sanford Family vault in Hamilton Cemetery.