- Aug 5 Carnot Posey, American Confederate brigadier general, born in Wilkinson County, Mississippi (d. 1863)
- Aug 5 Ivar Aasen, Norwegian linguist and poet, born in Ørsten, Norway (d. 1896)
- Aug 10 William Henry Fry, American composer, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (d. 1864)
- Aug 15 Jules Grévy, 2nd President of the French Third Republic, born in Mont-sous-Vaudrey, France (d. 1891)
- Aug 18 Benjamin Alvord, American scientist and Brigadier General (Union Army), born in Vancouver, Washington (d. 1884)
- Aug 21 Jean Stas, Belgian chemist, born in Leuven, Belgium (d. 1891)
- Aug 26 Nicaise de Keyser, Flemish painter (Battle of Guilder Tracks)
- Aug 30 Princess Mathilde Caroline of Bavaria, eldest daughter of Ludwig I of Bavaria, born in Augsburg, Germany (d. 1862)