- Dec 8 Adolph Menzel, German painter and graphic artist, born in Breslau, Prussian Silesia (d. 1905)
Ada Lovelace (1815-1852)
Dec 10 English mathematician considered the first computer programmer, born in London
- Dec 21 Thomas Couture, French history painter & teacher, born in Senlis, France (d. 1879)
- Dec 22 Johann Jakob Bachofen, Swiss antiquarian & jurist, born in Basel, Switzerland (d. 1887)
- Dec 22 Lucien Petipa, French ballet dancer, born in Marseille, France (d. 1898)
- Dec 23 Henry Highland Garnet, American minister, abolitionist and diplomat, born in Maryland (d. 1882)
- Dec 25 Temistocle Solera, Italian opera composer, born in Ferrara (d. 1878)
- Dec 26 Israel Bush Richardson, American Major General (Union Army), born in Fairfax, Vermont (d. 1862)
- Dec 31 George Gordon Meade, Spanish-American Major General (Union Army), born in Cádiz, Spain (d. 1872)