- Dec 3 Francis Kenrick, Irish-American Archbishop of Baltimore (1851-63), born in Dublin, Kingdom of Ireland (d. 1863)
- Dec 11 Hiram Paulding, American Rear Admiral (Union Navy), born in Cortlandt, New York (d. 1878)
- Dec 13 Heinrich Heine, German poet and lyricist (Schubert, Liszt), born in Düsseldorf, Germany (d. 1856)
- Dec 17 Joseph Henry, American scientist and pioneer of electromagnetism, born in Albany, New York (d. 1878)
- Dec 19 Josef Theodor Krov, Bohemian composer, singer and teacher, born in Nové Strašecí, Czechia (d. 1859)
- Dec 26 Hans Skramstad, Norwegian pianist and composer, born in Toten, Norway (d. 1839)