Meaning & History
Azriel is a masculine Hebrew given name meaning 'my help is God.' It is composed of the elements ʿezra (help) and ʾel (God). The name appears in the Old Testament as the name of three minor characters: the father of Seraiah (Jeremiah 36:26), a forefather of the prophet Samuel (1 Chronicles 6:23-24), and a Levite during the time of David (1 Chronicles 27:26).
Notable Bearers
Historically, Azriel of Gerona (c. 1160–c. 1238) was a prominent Catalan kabbalist whose philosophical works influenced Jewish mysticism. In modern times. bearers include Azriel Hildesheimer (1820–1899), a German rabbi and leader of Orthodox Judaism; Azriel Lévy (born 1934), an Israeli logician; and Azriel Rosenfeld (1931–2004), an American computer scientist. Azriel Graeber (born 1948) is a Talmudic scholar, and Ezriel Carlebach (1909–1956) was an Israeli journalist.
Cultural Significance
Azriel is also the basis of the name Azrael, the angel of death in Judeo-Christian-Islamic legend. In fiction, Azriel appears as a character in Anne Rice's novel Servant of the Bones and in Sarah J. Maas's A Court of Thorns and Roses series.
Related Forms
Variant forms include Biblical Hebrew Azarel) and Biblical Latin Azareel or Azrahel.
- Meaning: 'my help is God'
- Origin: Hebrew
- Type: First name
- Usage regions: English Bible, Jewish
Related Names
Sources: Wikipedia — Azriel