Eight ships of the Royal Navy have borne the name HMS Lapwing, after the northern lapwing, a species of bird:
- was a 10-gun cutter launched in 1764 and lost in 1765.
- was a 28-gun sixth rate launched in 1785. She was used on harbour service from 1813 and was broken up in 1828.
- was a 6-gun packet brig launched in 1825, used as a breakwater from 1845, and sold in 1861.
- was a wooden screw gunvessel launched in 1856 and sold in 1864.
- was a wooden screw gunvessel launched in 1867 and sold in 1885.
- was a composite screw gunboat launched in 1889 and sold in 1910.
- was an launched in 1911 and sold for scrapping in 1921.
- was a sloop launched in 1943 and sunk by a U-boat in 1945.