- May 14 Eleanor Everest Freer, American composer, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (d. 1942)
- May 18 Jan P. Veth, Bayern, Dutch painter, etcher, lithographer and art historian
- May 19 Carl Akeley, American taxidermist and naturalist who developed the animal mount process and other techniques for museums, born in Clarendon, New York (d. 1926)
- May 21 Princess Stephanie of Belgium (d. 1945)
- May 27 Ante Trumbić, Croatian politician (23rd Mayor of Split), born in Split, Dalmatia, Austria-Hungary (d. 1938)