Alfred North Whitehead akaberekerwa muRamsgate, Kent, England, muna 1861. Baba vake, Alfred Whitehead, vaive mushumiri uye mudzidzisi weChhatham House Academy, chikoro chevakomana chakagadzwa naThomas Whitehead, sekuru vaAlfred North. Whitehead pachake akayeuka ese ari maviri sechikoro chakabudirira kwazvo, asi kuti sekuru vake vaive murume anoshamisa. Amai vaWhitehead vaive Maria Sarah Whitehead, aimbova Maria Sarah Buckmaster. Whitehead sezviri pachena anga asiri padyo padyo naamai vake, sezvo asina kumbotaura nezvake mune chero zvinyorwa zvake, uye pane humbowo hwekuti mukadzi waWhitehead, Evelyn, aive nemaonero akaderera kwaari.Whitehead akadzidza paSherborne School, Dorset, chimwe chezvikoro zveveruzhinji zvakanakisa munyika.Udiki hwake hwakatsanangurwa sekudzivirirwa zvakanyanya, asi paakazvarwa pachikoro akabudirira mune zvemitambo uye semukuru wekirasi yake, Whitehead akaberekerwa kuCambridge.
Muna 1861