There are two theories to the origin of the name Lapidus. The first is thought to be derived from the Latin word for stone "Lapidas". There were many members of the Ancient Roman Consul with the name Lepidus and Lapidus. On the other hand, Lapidus or Lapidot was the husband of Devorah the prophetess in the Hebrew Bible. Lapidus translates to Fire, torches, or sparks depending on who you ask. In Hebrew, the letters TAV and SAV are the same, yet distinctly separated by a vowel. Tav is generally used by the Ashkenazi (Eastern European) population, and Sav is typically used by the Tzefardi (Western European) population. Lapidot ends with a Tav making is Ashkenazi, but when said in Tzefardi, it is pronounced Lapidas (Lapidus), when the TAV is exchanged for a SAV. This does not make Lapidus strictly a Tzefardic name, because the distinction between Tav and SAV is so slim that it can be said either way correctly.

People

Distinguished 20th-century bearers of the name Lapidus include the Russian-born American architect Morris Lapidus, and the Russian-born American surgeon and educator Paul W. Lapidus as well as orientalist Ira M. Lapidus, the Washington, D.C. metro area trial attorney (Lawrence S. "Larry" Lapidus ) the "father of military packaging" (Herbert M. Lapidus ) NIH pediatric rhematology fellow (Sivia K.Lapidus, M.D.), French fashion designer Ted Lapidus, and renowned protein folding experimentalist and Michigan State University professor Lisa Lapidus.