Rebecca Romijn (pronounced Romaine, like the lettuce) was born on November 6, 1972, in Berkeley, California.
Her father was Dutch-born and worked as a custom-furniture maker; her mother was American-born, of Dutch descent, and was an English teacher. Rebecca attended Berkeley High School where her nickname was the Jolly Blond Giant, then she attended the University of California at Santa Cruz where she majored in Music, but left in 1995.