Ingram was born on September 2, 1997 in Kinston, North Carolina. He is the son of Donald and Joann Ingram. He has an older brother, Donovan, and an older sister, Brittany.^[Ingram's father used to be a cop and a manager of a local gym, but is now a welder. Before that, Donald was a would-be hoops star, pushing his way through the semi-pro leagues.  When he moved back home to Kinston, his father started playing pickup games with a local kid named Jerry Stackhouse who was looking to play against older and more experience players to help him elevate his game. Stackhouse, an ex-NBA star and Kinston native, forged a friendship with Ingram's father on the basketball court. His brother, Donovan, also played basketball at South Plains College(2008–2010) and UT Arlington (2010–2012).  When Brandon was around 11 or 12 years old, his brother allowed him to play with him and his older friends. Brandon described this experience as "the best thing that ever happened to my game." By the time he reached eighth grade, Stackhouse became Ingram's Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) coach and mentored the young basketball player. Those influences "took me to the next level," said Ingram who's foundation as a player came from his father. His father was a high school and collegiate referee who stated Brandon "was trained correctly, both mentally and physically. He grew up knowing the rules of the game".