Natavan was born on August 15, 1832 in Shusha, a town in present-day Nagorno-Karabakh to Mehdigulu Khan (1763-1845) and Badir Jahan Begüm (1802-1861). Being the only child in the family and descending from Panah Ali Khan, she was the only heir of the Karabakh khan, known to general public as the "daughter of the khan" (). Her name Khurshid Banu (خورشیدبانو) is from Persian and means "Lady Sun". Her nom de plume "Natavan" (ناتوان) is also from Persian and means "powerless". She was named after her grandmother - Khurshud Begüm, daughter of Javad Khan.