Michael Lazar

(male) English form of a common biblical name (meaning ‘who is like God?’ in Hebrew) borne by one of the archangels, the protector of the ancient Hebrews, who is also regarded as a saint of the Catholic Church. In the Middle Ages, Michael was regarded as captain of the heavenly host (see Revelation 12:7–9), symbol of the Church Militant, and patron of soldiers. He was often depicted bearing a flaming sword. The name is also borne by a Persian prince and ally of Belshazzar mentioned in the Book of Daniel. Since the early 1900s it has been one of the most enduringly popular boys' names in the English-speaking world. See also Michal.

Jewish, German, Hungarian (Lázár), Slovenian, and Polish: from a personal name of Aramaic origin, a reduced form of the Hebrew male personal name Elazar, composed of the elements El ‘God’ + azar ‘help’, and meaning ‘may God help him’ or ‘God has helped (i.e., by granting a son)’. This was well established in central Europe as a Jewish name, but was also popular among Christians because it is recorded in the New Testament. Lazaros is the New Testament Greek form of the name of the brother of Martha and Mary, who was restored to life by Christ (John 11: 1– 44). As a non-Jewish name it was also used as a nickname for a beggar or an outcast leper; this use arises from the parable of Dives and Lazarus (Luke 16: 19–31). It may also be Greek, a shortened form of a patronymic based on this name, for example Lazarakis, Lazaridis, Lazaroglou, Lazaropoulos.