1747 (MDCCXLVII) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar and a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar, the 1747th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 747th year of the 2nd millennium, the 47th year of the 18th century, and the 8th year of the 1740s decade. As of the start of 1747, the Gregorian calendar was 11 days ahead of the Julian calendar, which remained in localized use until 1923.

• Afghanistan becomes independent from Persia.
• February 11 – A combined French and Indian force, commanded by Coulon de Villiers, attacks British troops at Grand Pré, Nova Scotia.
• April 9 – The Scottish Jacobite Lord Lovat was beheaded by axe on Tower Hill, London, for high treason.
• May 14 – War of the Austrian Succession: First battle of Cape Finisterre.
• June 9 – Emperor Momozono rises to power in Japan, after Emperor Sakuramachi.

• January 15 – John Aikin, English doctor and writer (died 1822)
• January 19 – Johann Elert Bode, German astronomer (died 1826)
• January 26 – Samuel Parr, English schoolmaster (died 1825)
• February 19 – John "Walking" Stewart, traveller and philosopher (died 1822)
• February 21 – Eugenio Espejo, Ecuadorian scientist (died 1795)
• May 5 – Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor (died 1792)
• July 6 – John Paul Jones, American naval captain (died 1792)
• October 8 – Jean-François Rewbell, French politician (died 1807)
• December 12 – Anna Seward, English writer (died 1809)

• January 16 – Barthold Heinrich Brockes, German poet (born 1680)
• March 16 – Christian Augustus of Anhalt-Zerbst, father of Catherine II of Russia (born 1690)
• March 23 – Claude Alexandre de Bonneval, French soldier (born 1675)
• April 2 – Johann Jacob Dillenius, German botanist (born 1684)
• April 7 – Leopold I, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau, Prussian field marshal (born 1676)
• May 28 – Luc de Clapiers, marquis de Vauvenargues, French writer (born 1715)
• May 31 – Andrei Osterman, Russian statesman (born 1686)
• June – Nadir Shah, Persian leader (born 1688)
• June 19 – Alessandro Marcello, Italian composer (born 1669)
• July 9 – Giovanni Bononcini, Italian composer (born 1670)
• October 10 – John Potter, Archbishop of Canterbury (born c.1674)
• November 17 – Alain-René Le Sage, French writer (born 1668)
• December 2 – Vincent Bourne, English classical scholar (born 1695)