Groban was born in Los Angeles, California. His parents are Lindy (nee Johnston), a school teacher, and Jack Groban, a businessman. He has a younger brother, Chris, who shares the same birthday, but four years younger. Groban's father was born Jewish, and is a descendant of Russian and Polish immigrants; he converted from Judaism to Christianity when marrying Groban's mother. Groban's mother's ancestry includes Norwegian (from Toten), German, and English; one of her own grandfathers had been Jewish. Groban's parents are Episcopalians.