Lazarus
Meaning of Lazarus
Lazarus traces its roots to the Hebrew Elʽāzār, meaning “God has helped,” a thought-packed little blessing that has journeyed into Greek as Lazaros and then into English as the steady, two-beat LAZ-uh-rus. Most people meet Lazarus in the Gospel story where Jesus calls him from the tomb—an unforgettable cameo that turned the name into shorthand for second chances and spectacular comebacks. Over the centuries, poets, painters, rock bands, and even a Mars rover experiment have borrowed Lazarus for its built-in note of hope, so a modern bearer gets a literary halo as well as a biblical one. In the United States the name has never been wildly common—hovering in the mid-hundreds for more than a century—but that under-the-radar status only adds to its quiet charisma. Choosing Lazarus today feels a bit like planting a vintage seed and watching it rise again: familiar yet unexpected, timeless yet fresh, and forever linked with the comforting idea that help is always on the way.
Pronunciation
Greek
- Pronunced as lah-ZAH-roos (/la.ˈza.ru̯os/)
English
- Pronunced as LAZ-uh-rus (/ˈlæzərəs/)
U.S. Popularity Chart
States Popularity Chart
Notable People Named Lazarus
| Lazarus Chakwera is a Malawian pastor and theologian who served as the sixth president of Malawi from 2020 to 2025. |
| German-American merchant Lazarus Straus founded L. Straus & Sons, the family business that went on to take ownership of Macy's department store. |
| Gary Cantrell is the American race director known as Lazarus Lake who created brutally tough endurance events like the Barkley Marathons. |
| Lazarus Fuchs was a Jewish-German mathematician known for his important work on linear differential equations. |
| Lazarus Ercker was a 16th century Bohemian metallurgist and mint assay master near Prague who wrote some of the earliest known books on metallurgy. |
| Lazarus Spengler was a Nuremberg Reformation leader, Martin Luther supporter, and celebrated hymnwriter. |
| Lazarus Geiger was a German Jewish philosopher and philologist who studied the origins of human language. |
| Lazarus is a champion New Zealand harness racehorse who now stands at stud. |
| Lazarus Denison Shoemaker was a Republican congressman who represented Pennsylvania in the House of Representatives from 1871 to 1875. |
| Lazarus Bendavid was a German mathematician and philosopher best known for explaining the ideas of Immanuel Kant. |
| Lazarus Phillips was a Canadian lawyer who went on to serve in the Senate. |
| Lazarus von Schwendi was a Holy Roman Empire military commander who helped shape winemaking in Alsace, where he owned several vineyards. |
| Lazarus Chigwandali is a Malawian musician living with albinism. |
| Lazarus Mohapi has served as the Anglican Dean of Bloemfontein in South Africa since March 2013. |
