Yoshihide was born in 1538 as the first son of Yoshitsuna ASHIKAGA (Sakaikubo (head of the Sakai-based municipal government)) who was Sama no kami (Captain of Samaryo, Left Division Bureau of Horses) at the Hirajima-sho manor in Awa Province (in another theory, Yoshihide was born in 1540).
天文7年（1538年）、左馬頭である足利義維（堺公方）の長男として阿波国平島荘で生まれる（生年には天文9年（1540年）説もある）。