The Hebrew form of Enoch, meaning dedicated or initiated.
Chanoch is the ancient Hebrew original behind the English name Enoch, drawn from the root חָנַךְ (chānakh), meaning to dedicate, initiate, or train. It is one of the earliest personal names recorded in the Hebrew Bible, borne by two distinct figures in Genesis: a son of Cain who lent his name to one of the first cities ever built, and a descendant of Seth so righteous that, according to scripture, he did not die but was taken directly by God — he 'walked with God, and he was no more.' That second Chanoch became a figure of enormous mystical importance in Jewish tradition.
In Second Temple Judaism, Chanoch was the attributed author of the Book of Enoch, an apocalyptic text beloved in some Jewish and early Christian communities, which depicts his heavenly journeys and encounters with angels. The Kabbalistic tradition elevated him further, sometimes identifying him with the archangel Metatron. His name thus carries a weight of celestial mystery rare among biblical names.
Today Chanoch remains primarily a name within traditional Ashkenazi and Mizrahi Jewish communities, often transliterated as Hanoch in modern Israeli Hebrew. It is given in honor of both biblical ancestors, with parents choosing it for its deep scriptural roots and the sense of dedication — to learning, to faith, to family — embedded in its very letters. While uncommon in the secular West, it has never faded from Jewish religious life.