Is Nimrod really that bad?

Elgar's Nimrod is a fantastic piece of music but who wants their cute child's name to be associated in people's minds with military ceremonies and royal funerals?

It's incredibly stiff, (ramrod stiff!), formal, military and British Imperial sounding. Captain Nimrod could definitely have featured in a novel by Conrad, Melville or Kipling (and he'd have had a normal first name, like Charles, John or Nathaniel). In fact, on googling that, I discover that Shackleton's first ship and polar expedition were the Nimrod. Exactly the imperial exploration milieu it had evoked.

Rod is not a great nn. Nim is just unusual.

Zoltan sounds a bit superhero to me but it's clearly a first name and, like almost any name that is actually a first name, people quickly associate it with the child and it becomes theirs.

I really positively like Laszlo and I think part of that is the Casablanca connection.

I honestly thought the title was a joke! Please don't call your son Nimrod. I know some on here haven't heard of it used as an insult but there are enough of us who have to mean that it really wouldn't be kind to call him that.

Another thinking of Elgar enigma variations - nimrod. It’s absolutely beautiful and used in very moving occasions - military and eg royal funerals etc. One of the most iconic elegiac and patriotic ‘British’ anthems.
For this reason I wouldn’t use it. It’s most usually heard with tears in eyes or lump in throat.

Of yours, Laszlo is the nicest sounding.

Never heard it heard of it used as an insult in the UK so suspect it’s another one of those “age things”..

The more grey haired amongst us are probably going to associate it with Elgar, and I suspect for many year to come pretty much anybody with knowledge of UK aviation is going to jump straight to the military aircraft connection….whether that matters or not???

I like Zarko, but I think that's Romanian.

I am really surprised that so many posters here have never heard of Nimrod as an insult. It is definitely known as an insult in the uk. Maybe the posters who haven’t heard of it are a bit older possibly as maybe it’s a generational thing.

Gosh. Not Nimrod!

Makes me think of the greenday album. Good album!

I’m in the US and nimrod is a derogatory term here. It’s a bit old-fashioned as a derogatory term, but it remains one all the same. It even shows up in movies as an insult.

I really like Laszlo.

I wouldn't go with Nimrod.

I worked with a Zoltan a memorable name! That name has a good energy to it.

Definately not nimrod.... any of the others though

It's an insult in the UK. Not super common but I have heard it used.

Nimrod is an insult. The other names are really nice

Nimrod sounds more like a racehorse than a person. Linked with an aeroplane or a mighty hunter - never heard it to mean a dimwit.

Zoltan sounds like one of those old machines containing a turbaned figure, which predict your fortune. The only one I know of was Zoltan Glatter the artist.

Vajk - any name starting with 'vaj' is likely to inspire teasing. Also, it will rarely be pronounced correctly in the UK.

Laszlo is nice, particularly if you don't use the accents on the name.

Nimrod is a fine piece of music often played at military ceremonies like the cenotaph day rememberence service. It was played at Prince Philip's funeral. I dont see that it has any negative associations here in the UK.

Zoltan has its own hand gesture from Dude Where's my car?

Nimrod is an insult

Of those I'd go for Nimrod (not an insult in UK) and Zoltan.

Is younger generations who watched a lot of US teen shows have heard it used a lot in that way.

The bible/classical music/military aircraft all mean nothing to me in that sense - I see "nimrod" and my immediate thought is "idiot"

Laszlo is lovely, I would definitely go for that. Nimrod I would avoid.

I’ve taught a few Nimrods. Other kids don’t seem to see it as an insult.
Zoltan reminds me of those fortune telling machines.

Laszlo is nice. Kids at secondary will call him Laz but I think at that point that will also seem quite cool, albeit you may not like that as a parent. Zoltan sound a bit like a fairy tale villain to me. Definitely not Nimrod.

I've just googled this out of interest (not sure if anyone else has as I haven't RTFT) but:

The origins of Nimrod being used as an insult apparently stems from bugs bunny!

Bugs used Nimrod as an insult in an ironic context to Elmer Fudd as the actual/original Nimród is an accomplished, expert hunter (which Elmer wasn't, obvs)! So really, it stuck with audiences as an insult when actually the name Nimród has only good connotations and was used as an ironic insult.

Well, you learn something new every day!