	Myint Swe was born on 25 July 1912 in Mandalay, British Burma to a well-to-do family of Ma Ma Lay () and San Kyu (). His father San Kyu was a well known physician in Upper Burma, and recipient of the prestigious ATM ("Ahmudan-kaung Tazeit-ya Min", အမှုထမ်းကောင်း တံဆိပ်ရ မင်း) title bestowed by the colonial government on top colonial era civil servants. The eldest of ten siblings, Myint Swe graduated from Anglo-vernacular E.W. Kelly High School, and enrolled at Mandalay College in 1932.