Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name Enoch

Enoch is third generation human in that he’s the son of Cain and the grandson of Adam and Eve [Genesis 4]. Just to keep us on our toes, we learn about another Enoch in the following chapter [Genesis 5]. This Enoch is an ancestor to Noah and a descendent of Adam through Seth and should not be confused with the son of the fratricide-committing Cain. Chapter 5’s Enoch’s bloodline goes like this: Adam –> Seth –> Enosh –> Kenan –> Mahahahel –> Jared –> Enoch. Essentially Enoch is Adam’s great-great-great-great grandson. When Enoch was 65 years old he fathered Methuselah. As we learn throughout Genesis 5, Enoch lived during a period of unusually high average human lifespan. Enoch lived to be 365 years old, and his son Methuselah, the oldest recorded person ever to live in the Bible, managed to squeak out 969 years of good, clean livin’. In any case, Methuselah sired Lamech who was the father of Noah. SO…are you following us? Noah was the great-grandson of Enoch. If you take the Bible at face-value then you would believe we are all descended from Enoch since Noah was the only man to survive The Flood. Man, that was exhausting. The Bible says about Enoch specifically: “Thus, all the days of Enoch were 365 years. Enoch walked with God, and then he was no more, because God took him” (Genesis 5:23-24). So here’s what else we know about Enoch: He lived a long life (365 years), he was faithful (walked with God), and he was rewarded with a place in heaven (God took him). Some people claim that Enoch and Elijah are the only two Bible characters who were taken directly by God before dying (generally speaking, death is required before one ascends to heaven). Enoch comes from the Hebrew חֲנוֹך (H̱anokh) meaning either “dedicated” which makes perfect sense given his “walks” with God; or “experienced” which also makes perfect sense given his old age. Aside from Enoch’s brief but significant appearance in Genesis 4, one of the so-called Hidden Books of the Apocrypha is attributed to him. This mysterious Book of Enoch purports to be written by Enoch himself and given to Noah, but legitimate scholars unanimously discredit that claim. Christians have a long history of quoting from the Book of Parables (part of the Book of Enoch) since it concerns itself with the coming of a Messiah, detailed as a son of God and a chosen one, written prior to the birth of Jesus Christ. Although the Book of Enoch was long-forgotten by modern times, the Puritans rediscovered its existence after the Reformation. The name Enoch became highly favorable among Puritans and other nonconformist Christians as a result. As a Hebrew name of importance, Enoch also has deep roots within the Jewish community. Today, however, Enoch is rarely used as a masculine given name. By anyone.

All About the Baby Name – Enoch

Personality

OF THE BOY NAME ENOCH

The number Nine personality represents the completion or ending of the cycle, and a need for perfection. This is the personality that moves from "self" to a greater understanding and compassion for the human condition and the world order. They want to make the world a better place. Nines are capable of great spiritual and humanitarian achievements. They are courageous and fearless, able to fight great battles on behalf of worthy causes. These personalities will not tolerate injustice. They are compassionate people with a strong sensitivity to others. They are able to both educate and inspire. Friendships and relationships are the lifeblood to the Nine, and they place a high value on love and affection. Nines are often exceptionally gifted artistically, and they have a keen imagination and enterprising mind.

Popularity

OF THE BOY NAME ENOCH

Although we don’t have data that goes back that far, we can say with confidence that Enoch was most likely a crowd-pleaser from the 17th to 19th centuries in America. The Puritans are probably most responsible for bringing this obscure Biblical name to the early colonizers. Our statistics start in 1880 when Enoch was ranked #202 on the Top 1000 list of U.S. baby boy names. Not too shabby. Enoch managed to hang on to the charts for the first half of the 20th century, all the while dwindling in popularity. For the most part, Enoch would go into hiding by the 1960s when the name fell off the Top 1000 list. Hardly familiar in the latter half of last century, Enoch suddenly reappeared in the 21st century (2011) at position #933. Yes, a lowly position at that, but at least he made it back to the charts. Obscure, quirky and VERY Biblical sounding, Enoch joins the ranks of similar sounding names slowly (maybe?) coming back into style. Just consider some other heavy-sounding Hebrew-inspired Biblical names: Gideon, Hezekiah, Malachi, Nehemiah and Uriah. Enoch sounds like a brother from another mother, right? We welcome this peculiar little name back on to the charts. It’s eccentric and original – one of the most ancient names known to Western Culture.

Quick Facts

ON ENOCH

GENDER:

Boy

ORIGIN:

Hebrew

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

2

RANKING POPULARITY:

836

PRONUNCIATION:

EE-nәk

SIMPLE MEANING:

Dedicated, Experienced

Characteristics

OF ENOCH

Multi-talented

Intuitive

Oneness

Idealistic

Philanthropy

Independent

Perfection

Cultural References to the Baby Name – Enoch

Literary Characters

OF THE BABY NAME ENOCH

Enoch Arden is the titular hero of Alfred, Lord Tennyson’s 1864 poem, Enoch Arden, about a young sailor who leaves his wife and children to go to sea to make more money. Poor Enoch! He is shipwrecked on a desert island a la Robinson Crusoe for ten long years. When he finally makes his way home, he finds that his wife has happily remarried, believing him dead, to a former rival of his. Enoch makes the ultimate sacrifice and does not declare himself, leaving her to her innocent contentment. This theme has made its way into countless stories and movies, and even into an aspect of the law. The Enoch Arden doctrine holds that the spouse of a missing person may legally remarry in good faith if believing the other to be dead. Poor Enoch! He may not have found happiness, but he did achieve immortality.

Enoch Cain, Jr. is a character in Dean Koontz’ 2000 cautionary novel of good and evil, From the Corner of His Eye. The plot involves the intertwining stories of three people, one of whom is Enoch Cain, Jr., “Junior”. Alas, Enoch is part of the evil, being a psychopathic rapist and serial murderer. Enoch is utterly without redemption, and in fact has no belief in the power of such, having no belief in a god or an afterlife. Here and now, all he can get, is the meaning of life for him. Enoch has done one exceedingly good thing, however, albeit unwittingly. He has had a daughter by a woman he raped, and she is born with the ability to transport people into “another world”. In the case of her father, the “other world” she directs him to is one occupied by huge and distorted bugs that she draws. Aptly named Angel, Enoch’s daughter provides for him that justice that he himself did not believe in.

Enoch Emery is a character in Flannery O’Connor’s first novel, Wise Blood, published in 1952. The plot involves the return of a World War II veteran who forms an atheistic ministry in a small Southern town. He meets Enoch, who is a certifiably crazy eighteen year old who has been kicked out of the house by his unloving father. Enoch introduces the protagonist to the concept of “wise blood”, the notion that he has innate knowledge of the direction one’s life should be taking. Enoch is a sad character, disenfranchised, and really caring only about “Gonga the Gorilla” of movie fame. When he sees a man in a gorilla suit promoting a coming film at the theater, Enoch kills the man, steals the suit, and finds his true identity. Still unaware of his negative impact on the rest of humanity, Enoch is now fulfilled – his “wise blood” has led him to his true identity. It is redemption of a sort.

Childrens Books

ON THE BABY NAME ENOCH

We cannot find any childrens books with the first name Enoch


Popular Songs

ON ENOCH

We cannot find any popular or well-known songs with the name of Enoch


Famous People

NAMED ENOCH

Enoch Crosby (Revolutionary War soldier/spy)
Enoch Light (musician)
Enoch Sontonga (South African musician)
Enoch Powell (British politician)
Enoch DeMar (football player)

Children of Famous People

NAMED ENOCH

We cannot find any children of famous people with the first name Enoch

Historic Figures

WITH THE NAME ENOCH

We cannot find any historically significant people with the first name Enoch