- Feb 1 Emil Hartmann, Danish organist and composer (Towards The Light), born in Copenhagen (d. 1898)
- Feb 16 Benjamin Edward Woolf, Dutch composer
- Feb 17 Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer, Spanish poet (d. 1870)
- Feb 18 Ramakrishna [Gadadhar Chatterji], Indian mystic and yogi (preached unity of religions), born in Kamarpukur, British India (d. 1886)
- Feb 21 Clement Léo Delibes, French romantic composer (Coppélia; Sylvia; Le roi l'a dit; Lakmé), born in Saint-Germain-du-Val, France (d. 1891)
- Feb 22 Eduard Wachmann, composer
- Feb 24 Winslow Homer, American painter (Gulfstream)
- Feb 29 Dickey Pearce, American baseball shortstop (pioneer shortstop position; introduced bunt) and manager (NY Mutuals, St. Louis Brown Stockings), born in Brooklyn, NY (d. 1908)