漢名
Boggs was born on June 27, 1915, in Providence, Rhode Island, above her father's restaurant. Her Chinese given name was Yu Ping (玉平), meaning "Jade Peace." She was the daughter of Chin Lee (1870–1965) and his second wife, Yin Lan Ng, who would become an early feminist role model for Boggs. Both her parents were originally from Taishan, Guangdong in Qing dynasty China. Her father Chin Lee was born Chin Dong Goon (Chin being his family name). After he immigrated from China to the U.S. city of Seattle in 1911, he took on the name Chin Lee, and the family surname was initially Chin Lee before shortening to just Lee.