Brown was born in 1976 in St. Louis, Missouri, to Sterling Brown Jr. and Aralean Banks Brown. Brown is one of five children; he has two sisters and two brothers.[1][2] His father died when Brown was 10 years old. As a child, he was known by his middle name, Kelby, until he was 16 and began going by his first name Sterling to honor his late father.[3] Brown grew up in Olivette, Missouri and attended St. Louis Country Day School.[4] Brown attended Stanford University from which he graduated in 1998 with an acting degree.