Hồ Ngọc Cẩn’s birth name was Hồ Ngọc Ca. He was born on December 3, 1876 in the Ba Châu Community, Vĩnh Lưu Village, Hương Trà Town, Thua Thien-Huế Province. Joseph Hồ Ngọc Tri and Anna Nguyễn Thị Đào were his parents.