Dou Wu
It is not known when Dou Yizhi was born, but it is known that his family was from the Tang capital municipality Jingzhao (京兆, in modern Xi'an, Shaanxi). His family claimed ancestry from the Han Dynasty official Dou Wu (father to Empress Dou Miao). His grandfather Dou Yuanchang () served as a county magistrate, while his father Dou Yu () served as a prefectural prefect.