He became an adopted son of Sanetsuna SANJO who was a second son of Kinkuni SANJONISHI, a branch family of the Sanjo family and Kinkuni SANJO's real younger brother and the head of the Sanjo family, and then succeeded to Sanetsuna.
三条家の分家三条西家の三条西公国の次男で、公国の実弟で三条家の当主の三条実綱の養子縁組となり相続した。