Most historians agree that Genghis Khan (born Temüjin) was born around the year 1162 in what is now north‑central Mongolia, near Lake Baikal.

Because sources from his time are limited and sometimes contradictory, the exact day and month of his birth are uncertain. Some later Mongolian and Tibetan traditions suggest more precise dates (for example, calculations from Mongolian astrology propose dates in May 1162), but these are not universally accepted by scholars.