Page 26 says "keeping in mind that his ranks in any one skill can’t exceed his character level."
It doesn't say anything about that in the character generation chapter, but this rule seems pretty clear. So should I assume I can't put more than one rank in a skill at level 1?
I was handed a premade level 1 character with 2 ranks in some skills, so I just wanted to doublecheck.
Was it a Paizo pregen or something someone else had created?
Someone else.
Ask your GM then. The normal rules don't allow it. But she might make an exception.