- May 6 Ludwig Borne [Loeb Baruch], German-Jewish writer, born in Frankfurt (d. 1837)
- May 8 Jean Vianney, French Catholic priest, and eventual saint, born in Dardilly, Lyonnais, Kingdom of France (d. 1859)
- May 8 Thomas Hancock, British engineer, founded British rubber industry, born in Malborough, Wilshire (d. 1865)
- May 15 General Dimitris Plapoutas, a Revolutionary in the Greek War of Independence (d. 1864)