清咸丰7年(1857年),杨锐出生于四川绵竹县城小西街。兄弟4人,杨锐排行第三,字叔峤,又自号钝叔。家道小康,父亲杨承煦是国子监学生,长兄杨聪系秀才。杨锐青少年时受兄影响极大,博览群书,深研天文、地理、兵法、算术、医方,尤长于经学,与长兄互为师友。当时,清廷腐败,国势日下,杨聪常 Qing Xianfeng seven years (1857), Yang Rui was born in Mianzhu County, Sichuan small West Street. Four brothers, Yang Rui ranked third, the word uncle, and since blunt uncle. Family well-off, his father Yang Chengxu is the Imperial College students, elders brother Yang Cong scholar. Yang Rui adolescents greatly affected by his brother, read extensive books, deep research astronomy, geography, military law, arithmetic, medicine, especially in the study, and elder brother each other mentor. At that time, the Qing court corruption, the national conditions, Yangcong often