Tenoch was the legendary founder of the Aztec capital, Tenochtitlan, in the early 14th century. He is often regarded as a significant figure in Mesoamerican history, leading his people, the Mexica, to establish a powerful city on an island in Lake Texcoco. The name "Tenoch" is also associated with the Tenochca, the people who inhabited Tenochtitlan. Under his leadership, the city grew into a major political and cultural center, eventually becoming the heart of the Aztec Empire before the arrival of Spanish conquistadors in the 16th century.