Is Nimrod really that bad?

[lrpe]

We are from Hungary where Nimród is a popular boy's name and we'd like to call our child Nimród. However, I've just learnt that in American slang "nimrod" means idiot, dimwit, stupid, etc. But I've never heard this in the UK.

I wonder how bad Nimrod sounds for a native English speaker in the UK. (We have no connections with the US and our son would grow up in the UK.)

Possible alternatives would be:

László
Zoltán
Vajk (pronounced: voyk)

Are they any better?

Thanks a lot.

Laszlo and Zoltan are both great!

I didn't know it was an insult - but it's a plane - so no wouldn't use that as a name.

It’s very unusual and your other options sound nicer to me but there was a Nimrod at my daughters school for a while and the kids didn’t bat an eyelid!

I immediately think of the insult.

Zoltan is a really cool name. Pick that!

László and Zoltan are very nice.

Lazlo and Zoltan are great names, I’d stick with either of those.
Nimrod is a bit ‘out there’ and the ‘ rod’ bit is very old man in my opinion.

I associate it with the Greenday album

This was the first thing came to my mind....

Nimrod is used as idiot around here.

Love Zoltan and Lazlo though

RAF Nimrod springs to mind. To be far it’s probably only older people who’d know that as they were retired about ten years ago.

@HavelockVetinari

DH is Hungarian, we go there several times a year. I've never met a Nimród!

Will you shorten László to Laci or Zoltán to Zsoli? I like both names and the short versions. I've never heard Vajk before.

Most Nimróds in Hungary are probably toddlers. In 2020 it was the 22nd most popular name among newborns. According official statistics, before 2006 it was quite rare.

We are not keen on shortening his name, that's why I am a bit wary of naming him László or Zoltán, because our Hungarian famiy and friends would automatically shorten it to Laci or Zoli.

Zoltán / Zola is an awesome name

Yes

Oh my god please don't use this!!! Definitely know it as an insult.

In England, in my brain at least, it's either

1. A piece of patriotic music by Edward Elgar, used at royal funerals and played at the Cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday.
2. A large military aircraft

It would be a rather odd choice of first name in this country.

Of your other names, I prefer Laszlo and Zoltan because they're easy for a non- Hungarian speaker to read and pronounce.

Laszlo is beautiful. Nimrod I always thought was a euphemism for “penis” (which is why it is used to mean dickhead, prick, etc). Definitely do not use it.

Not Nimrod anything but Nimrod. It means idiot in a bad way in the UK

I know a Nimrod; known as Nim for short. I haven’t heard if used as an insult?

When I hear Nimrod all I think is Elgar .. beautiful piece of music
I’ve never heard of it being associated with the words , thick , idiot or penis or any of the aforementioned names above 😕

Never heard as Nimrod has an insult.

I think of Nimrod Variations the incredibly moving music they use on Remembrance Sunday

Means a plane to me ( probably as DB was one of the RAF pilots) but it just sounds to harsh.

Zolton is just brilliant though.

I don't think Nimrod is a great choice for the UK - we get a lot of US TV here so a fair number of adults/kids may be aware of "nimrod" as an insult (I was).

Laszlo is lovely, Zoltan fine and Vajk okay (but will be constantly mispronounced).

Never heard it as an insult, might come from the wrong part of the uk for it to mean that I guess. Like lots of others associate it with Edward Elgar and the RAF. I’m a massive What We Do In The Shadows fan so Laszlo would probably be a nope, or would it

I’ve never heard of it as an insult but it is a pretty well known aircraft.