Arthur Stanley Jefferson was born in his grandparents' house on 16 June 1890 at 3 Argyle Street, Ulverston, Lancashire in north west England. He had two brothers and a sister. His parents, Margaret (nee Metcalfe) and Arthur Jefferson, were both active in the theatre and always very busy. In his early years, the boy spent much time living with his maternal grandmother, Sarah Metcalfe.

Laurel and Mae Charlotte Dahlberg never married, but lived together as common-law husband and wife from 1919 to 1925, before Dahlberg accepted a one-way ticket from Joe Rock to go back to her native Australia. In November 1937, Dahlberg was back in the USA and sued the now successful Stan Laurel for financial support. At the time, Laurel's second marriage was in the process of a divorce, with Dahlberg's legal suit adding to Laurel's woes. The matter was settled out of court. Dahlberg was described as a "relief project worker" by the court.  Laurel had four wives and married one of them a second time after their divorce.  Laurel married his first wife, Lois Neilson, on 13 August 1926. On 10 December 1927, during the early years of Laurel and Hardy's partnership, Laurel and Neilson had a baby daughter, also named Lois. In May 1930, their second child, a son named Stanley, was born two months premature and died after nine days. Stan's daughter Lois died on 27 July 2017, aged 89. Laurel and Neilson divorced in December 1934.  In 1935, Laurel married Virginia Ruth Rogers (known as Ruth). In 1937, Laurel filed for divorce from Ruth, confessing that he was not over his ex-wife Lois, but Lois decided against a reconciliation. On New Year's Day 1938, Laurel married Vera Ivanova Shuvalova (known as Illeana), leading to an irate Ruth accusing Stan of bigamy, but their divorce had been finalised a couple of days before his new marriage. After a very volatile marriage to Illeana, during which Stan dug a grave with the intention of burying his wife in it, he and Illeana separated in 1939 and divorced in 1940, with Illeana surrendering all claim to the Laurel surname on 1 February 1940, in exchange for $6,500. In 1941, Laurel remarried Virginia Ruth Rogers, with Laurel and Ruth divorcing for the second time in early 1946.  On 6 May 1946, Laurel married Ida Kitaeva Raphael, to whom he remained married until his death on 23 February 1965.

Did Stan Laurel have any children?
during the early years of Laurel and Hardy's partnership, Laurel and Neilson had a baby daughter, also named Lois.