- May 1 Jose M de Alencar, Brazilian writer/minister of Justice
- May 6 Phoebe Ann Coffin, 1st female ordained minister in New England
- May 8 Louis Moreau Gottschalk, American pianist and composer, born in New Orleans (d. 1869)
- May 9 Ciro Pinsuti, pianist/composer
- May 12 Pavlos Carrer, Greek composer (d. 1896)
- May 30 Levin Goldschmidt, German business law expert