His father was the eldest son of Dainagon (Major Counselor) Tadayori NAKAYAMA (中山忠頼) who was in the Kazanin line of the Northern House of the Fujiwara clan, and his mother was Tsunako, a daughter of Sanetomo OGIMACHISANJO.
父は藤原北家の花山院流大納言・中山忠頼の長男、母は正親町三条実同の娘・綱子。