Meaning & History
Henok is a male given name of Eritrean and Ethiopian origin, primarily used in Amharic and Tigrinya-speaking communities. It is the local form of Enoch, a name that appears in the Old Testament.
The name traces back to the Hebrew Ḥanoḵ (חֲנוֹךְ), meaning "dedicated" or "initiated". In the Bible, Enoch is the name of two figures: the son of Cain mentioned in Genesis 4:17, and a descendant of Seth who "walked with God" and was taken without dying (Genesis 5:18–24). This latter Enoch is credited as the author of the apocryphal Books of Enoch, which are especially revered in the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church.
Due to the significance of Enoch in Ethiopian religious tradition, the name Henok is common among Christians in Ethiopia and Eritrea. The spelling and pronunciation reflect the Amharic and Tigrinya phonetic adaptations of the original Hebrew name.
Notable Bearers
- Henok Goitom (born 1984), a Swedish professional soccer player of Eritrean descent, who has played for several clubs in Sweden and Spain.
- Henok Tesfaye Heyi (born 1990), an Ethiopian middle-distance runner who has competed in international events.
- Henok Achido (born 1982), a Swedish hip-hop artist of Eritrean origin.
Related names include Enock (an African English variant), Enoque (Portuguese), and Enok (Scandinavian). In Hebrew the form is Chanokh.
- Meaning: "dedicated"
- Origin: Hebrew via Amharic/Tigrinya
- Type: First name
- Usage regions: Eritrea, Ethiopia
- Biblical root: Enoch
Related Names
Sources: Wikipedia — Henok