Born in Munich, Germany; to a German father and American mother. Banks moved to Britain at the age of four, and then to the Los Angeles suburb of Simi Valley in California, United States when she was seven years old. Her father still lives in Germany. She moved out of her mother's house when she was 16 years old, taking her 14 year old sister with her. She got custody of her sister when she turned 18. She modeled as a teenager, including a cover of Teen Magazine. She held various other jobs before entering the adult industry; making pizza, clerk at an arts and crafts store, file clerk, and secretary. At age 21, in August 1999, she responded to an ad in the newspaper to do nude modeling for adult magazines. The photographer put her in a pornographic film. Her first film was University Coeds 18, for Dane Entertainment, in which she performed opposite Brandon Iron. She entered the industry under the name "Mirage", but began calling herself "Briana Banks" in 2000, after having the first of two breast enlargement operations.