 Bernt Michael Holmboe was born in Vang in 1795, the son of vicar Jens Holmboe (1746–1823) and his wife Cathrine Holst (1763–1823).He grew up in Eidsberg with his nine siblings, and was the elder brother of noted philologist Christopher Andreas Holmboe.Holmboe was homeschooled from an early age, but was sent to the Christiania Cathedral School in 1810 to complete his secondary education.