The exact origins of Empress Dowager Cixi are unclear, but most biographies claim that she was the daughter of a low-ranking Manchu official named Huizheng of the Manchu Yehenara clan, and his principal wife, who belonged to the Manchu Fucha clan. Huizheng was a member of the Bordered Blue Banner of the Eight Banners, who served in Shanxi Province and later became Commissioner of Anhui Province.

Cixi was born on 29 November 1835 as "Lan Kueu" (Little Orchid), or "Yu Lan" (Jade Orchid), in popular legend. Genzheng Yehenara, one of Cixi's brother's descendants, insists the name was "Xing'er", and the name she used during schooling was "Xingzhen".

There are various stories about the early background of Cixi, none of which are in historical records. In the most popularly circulated tales, some of which have made their way into Chinese historical fiction, suggests Cixi is from one of four places: the Yangtze Region; Changzhi, Shanxi (this version says Cixi is actually a Han Chinese adopted by a Manchu family); Suiyuan (now Hohhot), Inner Mongolia; and Beijing.

It is generally accepted that she spent most of her early life in Anhui Province before moving to Beijing sometime between her third and fifteenth birthday. According to biographers, her father was dismissed from the civil service in 1853, two years after Cixi entered the Forbidden City, for allegedly not resisting the Taiping Rebellion in Anhui Province and deserting his post. Some biographers even claim that he was beheaded for his crime.

In September, 1851, Cixi participated, with sixty other Manchu girls, in the selection process for concubines for the new Xianfeng Emperor. This process was supervised by the Kang Ci Imperial Dowager Consort, and Cixi was one of the few girls selected on that occasion and was appointed Preparative Concubine (秀女) = Elegant Female. After being selected for the emperor's bed she was promoted to "Noble Person" (贵人), or concubine of the Fifth Rank.

In 1855, the Lady Yehenara (as Cixi's name was recorded upon entering the Forbidden City) became pregnant, and on 27 April 1856, she gave birth to Tongzhi, the only male heir of the Xianfeng Emperor, obtaining an elevation to "Noble Consort" (贵妃), which was a consort of the fourth rank.

When her son reached his first birthday, Yehenara was elevated to a "Noble Imperial Consort Yi". This rank is an imperial consort of the Second degree after the "Empress Consort". The rank "Noble Imperial Consort" placed Yehenara second only to the Empress Ci'an.