Which Banks child is the youngest at the start of season 1?

The youngest Banks child at the start of season 1 is Ashley Banks.

Season 1 identifies Ashley as the youngest of Philip and Vivian Banks’s children. She is the younger sister of Hilary and Carlton and Will’s cousin. Tatyana M. Ali played Ashley throughout the original series, giving the character a prominent role in stories about childhood, independence and growing up inside the highly controlled Banks household.

Ashley’s position in the family is easy to confuse because another child, Nicky Banks, appears later. Nicky is the Bankses’ youngest child, but he is introduced only in season 3, after Vivian becomes pregnant and gives birth. Therefore, Nicky cannot be the answer to a question specifically limited to the beginning of season 1.

Season 1 often uses Ashley’s relationship with Will to show how his arrival affects the household. Will becomes an older-cousin influence who encourages her to question restrictions, while Philip and Vivian try to protect her and preserve their family’s standards. The season also describes Hilary as the eldest and Carlton as Ashley’s older brother, confirming Ashley’s place as the youngest child in the opening season.