Jevrem Grujić was born on 23 July 1826 in the village of Darosava near Arandjelovac in a patriarchal peasant family. His father was a merchant and high ranking state official. His ancestors, originally from Montenegro, had moved to Serbia in the 17th century and founded a village of the same name. The founder of the Grujić family, Grujića Šestanović, was a participant in both Serbian insurrections and a deputy to the popular assembly that met during the first reign of Prince Miloš Obrenović. Following his graduation from the Gymnasium Grujić enrolled in the Lyceum in Belgrade in 1846.