His family came from the Yanagiwara family, Hino line of the Northern House of the Fujiwara clan and he was born as the second son of Tadamitsu YANAGIWARA, Gon Dainagon (provisional major counselor).
藤原北家日野流柳原家の流れを汲み、権大納言柳原忠光の次男として生まれた。