- May 2 Zikmund Kolešovský, Czech composer, born in Prague, Kingdom of Bohemia (d. 1868)
- May 5 George Washington Julian, American politician, U.S. House of Representatives from Indiana, born in Centerville, Indiana (d. 1899)
- May 11 (Francesca) "Fanny" Cerrito, Italian ballerina and choreographer (Rosida), born in Naples, Kingdom of the Two Sicilies (d. 1909)
- May 14 Alexander Kaufmann, German poet and folklorist, born in Bonn, Rhine Province, Kingdom of Prussia (d. 1893)
- May 15 Debendranath Tagore, Indian philosopher of the Bengal Renaissance, religious reformer and founder of the Brahmo religion, born in Calcutta, British India (d. 1905)
- May 18 James William Denver, American lawyer, politician and Brigadier General (Union Army), born in Winchester, Virginia (d. 1892)
- May 31 Édouard Deldevez, French violinist and composer, born in Paris, France (d. 1897)
- May 31 Georg Herwegh, German poet, born in Stuttgart, Kingdom of Württemberg (d. 1875)
20-29
30-39
40-49
50-59
80-89
Over 90