Sirikit was born in 1932 to a noble family and was given her name by King Prajadhipok which means "the Greatness of Kitiyakara". She spent her early years being raised by her maternal grandparents while her father worked in the United States. When her parents returned to Thailand when she was one, Sirikit lived with them in the Deves Palace in Bangkok. As a child, she enjoyed outdoor visits with her grandmother and accompanied Princess Absornsaman Devakula on a trip following the King's tour in 1933.