From Middle English lazare, from Old French lazare, from Medieval Latin lazarus (“leper”), an antonomasia from Lazarus, from Koine Greek Λᾱ́ζᾱρος (Lā́zāros), the given name of the Biblical figure found in Luke 16, from Hebrew אֶלְעָזָר (“Eleazar”), a given name shared by various figures in the Hebrew Bible and literally meaning "God has helped".