- Jan 3 Antoine T. d'Abbadie, French explorer (Ethiopia), born in Dublin, Ireland (d. 1897)
- Jan 5 Auguste Mermet, French opera composer, born in Brussels, Belgium (d. 1889)
- Jan 10 Jeremiah S. Black, American statesman & lawyer, born in Stony Creek, Pennsylvania (d. 1883)
- Jan 12 Ferdinand II, King of the Two Sicilies (1830-59), born in Palermo (d. 1859)
- Jan 29 Earnest Kummer, German mathematician (d. 1893)
- Jan 31 Daniel Ruggles, Brigadier General (Confederate Army), (d. 1897)