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Name at a glance

Lazarus

Lazarus is commonly connected with God has helped.

Ranked #1143 in the 2025 SSA records, stable over the past 5 years.

Lazarus is remembered as the friend of Jesus raised from the dead in John 11, giving the name a powerful association with hope and resurrection.

Browse names
OriginHebrew via Greek and Latin
GenderBoy
FeelResurrection
PronunciationLAZ-uh-rus

Is Lazarus biblical?

Yes

Biblical status Direct biblical person

Lazarus is a named person in Scripture, the friend of Jesus raised from the dead in John 11, and also the poor man in the Luke 16 parable.

Is Lazarus a Christian name?

Yes

Christian tradition Foundational, across traditions

Lazarus is honored across Catholic, Orthodox, and Anglican traditions, including the major Orthodox feast of Lazarus Saturday, through Saint Lazarus of Bethany.

Plain answer

Lazarus is a biblical name for the man Jesus raised in John 11, honored across Christian traditions including the Orthodox Lazarus Saturday feast.

Confidence High Last reviewed July 19, 2026 How this works

Meaning

The meaning of Lazarus

Lazarus is related to Eleazar, commonly understood as God has helped. In Christian use, the meaning is joined to the story in John where Jesus calls Lazarus out of the tomb.

Name story

A name of help and life

Lazarus has one of the most vivid associations of any New Testament name. It is tied to grief, friendship, delay, prayer, and the startling command of Jesus at the tomb.

The name's meaning, God has helped, becomes especially resonant when read beside a story of life restored.

Christian reading

Resurrection hope

John 11 is not only about Lazarus. It also reveals Jesus as the resurrection and the life, which makes Lazarus a deeply theological name.

For families, Lazarus may feel rare and weighty, but it carries unmistakable Christian hope.

Sound

How to pronounce Lazarus

Phonetic
LAZ-uh-rus
IPA
/ˈlæzəɹəs/

3 syllables · stress: LAZ-uh-rus · ends in a consonant

Forms

Variants and nicknames

Alternate spellings

  • Lazaro
  • Eleazar
  • Lazar
  • Eliezer
  • Lazare

Short forms and nicknames

  • Laz

Languages

Lazarus in other languages

Hebrew
אֶלְעָזָרEleazar
Greek
ΛάζαροςLazaros
Latin
Lazarus
Spanish
Lázaro
French
Lazare
German
Lazarus
Italian
Lazzaro
Russian
ЛазарьLazar
Arabic
لِعَازَرLiʿazar

Christian background

Christian and biblical background

Lazarus is significant in Christian tradition because his raising anticipates resurrection hope and reveals Jesus' authority over death.

Scripture

The biblical figure

Lazarus is the brother of Mary and Martha in Bethany and a friend of Jesus who is raised from the dead in John 11.

Bearers

Notable people named Lazarus

  • biblical

    Lazarus of BethanyBrother of Martha and Mary, raised from the dead by Jesus in John 11

  • biblical

    Lazarus in the parablePoor man in Jesus' parable in Luke 16 of Lazarus and the rich man

  • historical

    Saint Lazarus of AixSixth-century Bishop of Aix-en-Provence, around 470 to 542

  • modern

    Lazarus LongFictional protagonist of multiple Robert Heinlein novels including Time Enough for Love

Saint

Saint Lazarus of Bethany

Traditions
Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican
Patron of
lepers, the sick, hospitals

The Catholic Church celebrates Lazarus together with his sisters Mary and Martha. Orthodox tradition keeps Lazarus Saturday, the day before Palm Sunday, as a major feast commemorating his raising. A separate Saint Lazarus of Aix, sixth-century Bishop of Aix-en-Provence, was sometimes conflated with the Bethany Lazarus in medieval tradition.

Naming history

Naming tradition and history

Lazarus is much rarer than Luke or Matthew, but it has remained recognizable because of the strength of its biblical story. Forms such as Lazaro are used in some language traditions.

Recent US use

Lazarus in recent US use

Rank in 2025
#1143
Peak rank
#1023 in 1882
Recent trend
stable over the last 5 years
Years in the SSA records
114 (since 1882)

Source: US Social Security Administration baby name data, 1880-2025.

Sibling fit

Sibling name suggestions

Pairings

Names paired with Lazarus

  • Marthasister

    Martha is Lazarus's sister, who confesses Jesus as the Christ before the raising of Lazarus in John 11.

  • Marysister

    Mary of Bethany is Lazarus's sister, who anoints Jesus' feet in John 12.

For families

For families looking at Lazarus

Lazarus may suit families looking for a bold, uncommon biblical name. It is not a quiet choice, but it carries help, hope, and resurrection imagery.

Common questions

What does Lazarus mean?

Lazarus is commonly connected with God has helped.

Is Lazarus a biblical name?

Yes. Lazarus is raised from the dead by Jesus in John 11.

Is Lazarus a Christian baby name?

It can be, especially for families who want a rare biblical name associated with help, hope, and resurrection.

Sources

Sources for Lazarus

  • A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament, Brown, Driver, and BriggsSupports: Hebrew etymology (related to Eleazar); meaning 'God has helped'.
  • The Gospel of John, King James Version (KJV 1769)Supports: biblical figure; raised from the dead by Jesus in John 11.
  • The Oxford Dictionary of Saints, David Hugh Farmer (5th edition)Supports: Saint Lazarus of Bethany; patron of the sick; feast day (December 17).

Last reviewed July 19, 2026. See our methodology, or report an error on the corrections page.

Read next

Related names

JohnJohn's Gospel is the only one to record Lazarus' raising (John 11); the resurrection narrative is the structural turning point of the Gospel of John.StephenThe first Christian martyr; both Lazarus' tomb at Bethany and Stephen's death in Acts 7 bracket the gospel-era stories of how the early Christians confronted death and witness.