Emperor Zhaozong of Tang
He Ning was born in 898, during the reign of Emperor Zhaozong of Tang. His family was from Xuchang (須昌, in modern Tai'an, Shandong). He claimed ninth-generation ancestry from He Fengyao (), an imperial censor during the reign of Emperor Gaozong of Tang, early during Tang. However, his male-line ancestors were not in prominent governmental services after that, including his great-grandfather He Chang (), grandfather He Ru (), and father He Ju (). He Ju was said to be a drinker who lacked adherence to social protocols, and was not learned, but was said to respect scholars such that he spent his wealth in receiving and aiding them. (This suggested that He Ju was a man of some wealth.)