Ninh was born in 1952. Ninh's father is Toàn and her mother was Viêm Nguyễn. Her paternal grandparents were Thu and Tiệp Trịnh. She has two brothers and four sisters, named Thái, Thắng, Bình, Thọ, Khanh and Hòa. She is the second oldest of the seven children.