Born in Anaheim, California,[1] Buckley was the only son of Mary (née Guibert) and Tim Buckley. His mother was a Zonian of mixed Greek, French, and Panamanian descent,[8] while his father was the son of an Irish American father and an Italian American mother.[9] Buckley was raised by his mother and stepfather, Ron Moorhead, in Southern California, and had a half-brother, Corey Moorhead.[10][11] Buckley moved many times in and around Orange County while growing up, an upbringing Buckley called "rootless trailer trash".[12] As a child, Buckley was known as Scott "Scottie" Moorhead, based on his middle name and his stepfather's surname.[1]