Ativan is the brand name for the medication called Lorazepam which has been on the market for more than a few years now. In fact, lorazepam has been around for quite some time and even though some more advanced medications from the benzodiazepine class have been introduced after it, it is still quite popular, especially for certain uses. For instance, you will find that lorazepam is used prior to administering anesthesia as it reduces anxiety and also lowers the amount of anesthesia required to anesthetize the patient.