Thomas A. Budd

Thomas A. Budd (April 28, 1813 – March 22, 1862) was a United States Naval officer.

Budd entered the navy as a midshipman in 1829, was promoted to passed midshipman in 1835, and earned the rank of lieutenant in 1841. Budd was acting master of the during Captain Charles Wilkes United States Exploring Expedition (1838–1842). He later joined the expedition flagship, , as master.

In the late 1840s, he joined the California Line of the Pacific Mail Steamship Company as commander of the California, serving the line during the peak of the California Gold Rush. In 1848, the California, under command of Captain Cleveland Forbes, became the first American steamship to navigate the Straits of Magellan. He was killed in a skirmish at Mosquito Inlet on the east coast of Florida near Smyrna on March 22, 1862. He was buried in Buffalo's Forest Lawn Cemetery.

Budd was married and had children.