Elazar
A masculine name deriving from Hebrew meaning "God has helped".
Name Census estimates that about 582 living Americans carry the first name Elazar. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Elazar today is around 18 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Elazar births was 2003 (26 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Elazar. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
582
~ 1 in 588,925 Americans
Peak year
2003
26 babies that year
Average age
18
years old
2024 SSA rank
#4,588
Tracked since 1973
Popularity
Elazar: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Elazar from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 193 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Elazar remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Elazar by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Elazar during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Elazars live
Origin
Meaning and history of Elazar
The name Elazar has its origins in the Hebrew language and culture, dating back to ancient times. It is derived from the Hebrew words "El," meaning "God," and "Azar," meaning "to help" or "to aid." Therefore, the name Elazar can be translated as "God has helped" or "God is the helper."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Elazar can be found in the Hebrew Bible, also known as the Old Testament. In the book of Exodus, Elazar is mentioned as the son of Aaron, the brother of Moses and the first High Priest of the Israelites. He later succeeded his father as the High Priest and played a significant role in the religious and spiritual leadership of the Israelites during their journey through the wilderness.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Elazar. One of the most famous was Elazar ben Jair, a Jewish scholar and leader who lived in the 2nd century CE. He was a prominent member of the Sanhedrin, the highest court and legislative body in ancient Israel, and is remembered for his contributions to the development of Jewish law and tradition.
Another notable figure was Elazar ben Arakh, a Jewish philosopher and mystic who lived in the 3rd century CE. He was a renowned scholar of the Kabbalah, the mystical teachings of Judaism, and is credited with influencing the development of this spiritual tradition.
In the medieval period, Elazar ben Shemaiah, a 13th-century Jewish scholar and commentator, left a lasting impact on the study of the Talmud, the central text of Rabbinic Judaism.
During the Renaissance, Elazar Kalir, a renowned Hebrew poet and paytan (liturgical poet), lived in the 6th century CE. His works, which include numerous religious hymns and poems, are still widely studied and recited in Jewish communities around the world.
More recently, Elazar Shach (1898-2001) was a prominent Lithuanian-born Rabbi and influential leader in the Haredi Jewish community in Israel. He was revered for his vast knowledge of the Talmud and his unwavering commitment to traditional Jewish values and practices.
The name Elazar has maintained its significance and popularity within Jewish communities throughout history, representing a deep connection to the religious and cultural heritage of the Hebrew people.
People
Elazar + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Elazar as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with E
Other first names starting with E with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Elazar: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Elazar?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 582 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Elazar going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 588,925 US residents.
Is Elazar a common name?
We classify Elazar as "Very Rare". It ranks above 85.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 590 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Elazar most popular?
The single biggest year for Elazar was 2003, when 26 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Elazar is about 18 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Elazar a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Elazar in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.