 Liu Yilong was born at Jingkou (京口, in modern Zhenjiang, Jiangsu) in 407, to Liu Yu and his concubine Hu Dao'an (), as Liu Yu's third son; at that time, Liu Yu was already the paramount general for Jin, and so Liu Yilong was born into a household of power and wealth.For reasons lost to history, Liu Yu put Consort Hu to death in 409.Liu Yilong's maternal grandmother Lady Su was involved in his upbringing, and he was particularly close to her as he grew up.