Although her parents are of Quebecois origin, she does not speak French and her birth surname is usually pronounced in an anglicized way as /ˈævrəl ləˈviːn/"La-Veen" (in French it is commonly pronounced ). Avril is French for "April", while la vigne means "the vine" or "the vineyard".

Lavigne's debut album, Let Go, was released in 2002. Her second and third albums, Under My Skin (2004) and The Best Damn Thing (2007), respectively, reached number one on the U.S. Billboard 200. Lavigne has scored three number one songs worldwide to date and a total of nine top ten hits, including "Complicated", "Sk8er Boi", "I'm with You", "My Happy Ending", "Nobody's Home", "Keep Holding On", and "Girlfriend".

Avril Lavigne was born in Belleville, Ontario, Canada, to a French-born father, John, and a Franco-Ontarian mother, Judy. Lavigne's family were devout Christians. Avril's musical talent was first spotted at the age of two when her mother says Avril began singing along with her on church songs. The family moved to Napanee, Ontario, when Lavigne was five years old.