From Hebrew Eleazar meaning 'God has helped'; a biblical figure raised from the dead by Jesus.
Lazarus comes into English through the Greek Lazaros, which reflects the Hebrew Eleazar, meaning "God has helped." The name carries unusual force because it is borne by more than one major biblical figure. In the Gospel of John, Lazarus of Bethany is raised from the dead by Jesus, making the name one of the most dramatic emblems of restoration in Christian scripture.
In Luke's parable, a poor man named Lazarus appears as a figure of suffering and reversal. Together these stories gave the name a layered symbolism: divine aid, resurrection, poverty, hope, and the overturning of worldly fortunes. Historically, Lazarus has had a long but specialized life.
It was used in Christian communities, though never as broadly as names like John or Peter, perhaps because its associations were so weighty. Medieval Europe also attached the name to leper hospitals, sometimes called lazar houses, through the figure of Saint Lazarus and overlapping traditions of charity and bodily suffering. In literature and modern speech, "Lazarus" became shorthand for someone who returns unexpectedly or rises again after apparent defeat.
That metaphor appears in poetry, sermons, journalism, and political language. Because of that symbolism, Lazarus has always felt more than merely personal. It is a name with narrative built into it.
Contemporary parents who choose it often respond to its drama, its biblical depth, and its sense of endurance. It can sound solemn, Gothic, even literary, but also deeply humane. From sacred text to idiom, Lazarus remains one of the clearest examples of a name whose meaning has been shaped as much by story as by etymology.