Given name & surname · also Aramaic, Greek

Lazarus

“God has helped”·“my God is helper”

Lazarus is a masculine given name from Late Latin, ultimately from Biblical Hebrew.

Original GreekΛαζαρος

Meaning & origin

What it means

As a biblical name, Lazarus means “God has helped” or “my God is helper.”

From biblical name research

Where it comes from

This spelling has been associated with Greek, Aramaic, and Hebrew naming traditions.

How it developed

From Late Latin Lazarus, from Koine Greek Λᾱ́ζᾱρος, from Biblical Hebrew אֶלְעָזָר ('El'azár).

Adapted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)

The story

In biblical stories, Lazarus is associated with the man raised from the dead by Jesus.

In the Bible

In the Bible, the name Lazarus appears in Luke 16:20, John 11:1, Luke 7:15.

  • Luke 16:20
  • John 11:1
  • Luke 7:15

From biblical name research

Lazarus through the years

Babies since 1880
4,043
4,043 boys · 0 girls
Most popular year
2025
185 babies
2025
185
#1,143 for boys
2021–25 vs 2016–20
+8%
Steady
0501001501900192019401960198020002025Highest share 2025108
Lazarus in U.S. Social Security birth records, 1882–2025, per million boys born. Years with fewer than five births for a sex are not published and appear as zero. Use the arrow keys to step through years.

Where it’s given

Most at home inIndiana, Arizona, South Carolina
FewerMore, relative to births Not published
2025 births by state of birth. Tiles are equal-sized so small states stay visible. Highest rates: Indiana (8), Arizona (8), South Carolina (5), Virginia (7), Texas (33).

By the numbers

In 2025, this name appeared in 185 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 1,143 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 8.3% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (33). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 2,403 as a first name in 2020; 4,257 as a surname in 2020.

From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.

Lazarus’s family of names

In English usage, Lazarus has a diminutive in Laz. In English usage, Lazarus shares an earlier linguistic root with Eleazar. Lazarus has a related form in Lazaro.

Walk Lazarus’s family in the name graph

LazarusLazaroLazerLazarLazareLazzaroLazLazzarusLazarrusLazearLazreLazarilloEleazarLazarosLasarusLakaloLazarzΛάζαροςलजरLozoriusЛазарЛазарьLázaroLlàtzerՂազարոսLazărLaazariLázárŁazarz

Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.

Hover or tab through the constellation to see how each name is related. Bigger dots are names more people in the U.S. share.

Around the world

Lazarus has relatives in 13 languages. Lines run from its Hebrew roots to each of them.

HawaiianEnglishArmenianHebrew

14 related names in 13 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.

Each dot marks where a language is rooted, not where people with the name live today. Bigger dots hold more names. Dots on the border stand for languages further away. Language locations from Glottolog (CC BY 4.0); map from Natural Earth.

Similar names

If you love Lazarus, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.

Hebrew · Biblical

Ananias

“Yah has been gracious” · “graciously given of Yah”

33RareRising

>99% boys

Hebrew · Biblical

Ozias

“power of Yah” · “Yah is strong”

54UncommonRising fast

>99% boys

Hebrew · Biblical

Barnabas

“son of consolation” · “the son of the prophet; the son of encouragement”

26RareRising

>99% boys

Hebrew · Biblical

Boaz

“swiftness” · “one who is swift”

50UncommonRising

>99% boys

Hebrew · Biblical

Asa

“doctor, healer” · “born in the morning”

61FamiliarRising

89% boys · 11% girls

Biblical Hebrew · Biblical

Labanus

Labanus is a masculine given name from Biblical Hebrew. It is used in Latin.

No U.S. birth series

>99% boys

Hebrew · Biblical

Samson

“sun man”

60FamiliarRising

>99% boys

Hebrew · Biblical

Hezekiah

“God is my strength”

60FamiliarRising

>99% boys

Sibling ideas

Names that share Lazarus’s feel without repeating its first letter or rhyming with it.

A brother for Lazarus

A sister for Lazarus