Allen akaberekwa musi waJanuary 21, 1953, muSeattle, Washington, kuna Kenneth Sam Allen naEdna Faye (née Gardner) Allen. Allen akapinda Lakeside School, chikoro chepachivande muSeattle, kwaakava shamwari yeBill Gates, mudiki nemakore maviri, waakagovana naye kushingairira makombiyuta. Vakashandisa Teletype terminal yeLakeside kukudziridza hunyanzvi hwavo hwekuronga pamakombiyuta akawanda ekugovana nguva. Vakashandisawo rabhoritari yeComputer Science department yeYunivhesiti yeWashington, vachiita tsvagurudzo yemunhu uye kuronga komputa; pane imwe nguva muna 1971 vakarambidzwa kubva murabhoritari nekuda kwekushandisa zvisizvo ropafadzo dzavo ipapo. Sekureva kwaAllen, mumakore avo ekuyaruka iye naBill Gates vaizoenda kudonhedza marara nekuda kwekunyora kodhi yekombuta. Mushure mekudonhedza uye kuwana yakakwana SAT ye1600, Allen akaenda kuLakeside School, chikoro chepachivande cheWashington, kwaakabatana naBill Gates, uyo akagovana nechido chemakomputa.
Harvard