- Dec 7 Johann Nestroy, Austrian actor, singer and playwright (Judith und Holofernes), born in Ratibor, Silesia (d. 1862)
- Dec 11 Christian Dietrich Grabbe, German dramatist, born in Detmold, Lippe (d. 1836)
- Dec 12 John of Saxony, King of Saxony (1854-73) translated Divina Commedia, born in Dresden, Germany (d. 1873)
- Dec 15 August Freyer, Polish organist (Warsaw Evangelical Church, 1837-83), composer, and pedagogue, born in Mildenau, Electorate of Saxony (now Germany) (d. 1883)
- Dec 27 Guillaume Louis Baud, Dutch politician (Minister of Colonies 1848-49) (d. 1891)
- Dec 28 James Barnes, American Brevet Major General (Union Army), born in Boston, Massachusetts (d. 1869)