Is it okay to call an English child Klaus?

[Cammy007]

My family are Scottish and English but i really like the name Klaus but it is German, I only have 2 German cousins but their blood is English (if you know what I mean)

Would it be okay to call him Klaus? (baby boy btw)

If not what are some similar names if not?

DS (9) has a friend called Klaus, his full names is Nicholas - pronounced Nick-lous - but he only seems to go by Klaus as that's the name his mother chose.
I like it, it's unusual but has a classic feel.

DS2 is called Nicholas. DH sometimes calls him Klaus as a joke. I really like the name Nico and wish I have put it on BC.
And yes, Alegretto, it reminds me of Klaus Barbie, whose name was actually Nikolaus. Also Klaus Kinski, his eldest daughter recently said that she was sexually abused by him.

1Horatio in Game of thrones it's Joffrey not Geoffrey and he's an evil scumbag :-)

I would assume at least 1 parent was German. I have a foreign name and get asked about it at least once a week even though I'm now 40 - doesn't bother me, I love having an unusual name and getting to explain where I'm from. However it might be a bit odd saying 'I've got 2 German cousins' as an explanation.

It's really interesting to get an insight into how names are viewed where they originate. Thanks for that.

I would avoid because it makes me think of Klaus Barbie.

That was my first thought too! I'm sure there have been thousands of top notch Klauses but he's the one I think of.

I like it! I know a Welsh man with an Italian name who has no Italian heritage. Nobody has ever commented on it, it's a nice name which suits him.

Now I feel stupid, for some reason I've always assumed it was written with a G.
But yes, I was happy when he died... He was just such a scumbag.

One of my daughters has a Spanish name and I almost called DD2 Femke which is German. I only didn't because I knew some people wouldn't be able to pronounce it.

As for my personally aversion to the name Klaus... My gradfather's nn was Klaus. Seeing as he was an arse I am obviousy biased. But Klaus is outdated in pretty much every German speaking country, I think.
For me personally it's in the category of Arnold, Hans, Werner, Hermann... But it's just my opinion.