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.

@FreddieStandensBFF

Where in the uk is Nimrod an insult?

I'm in London (born and raised here) and only familiar with the word as an insult.

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"

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

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

Nimrod is an insult

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.

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 an insult. The other names are really nice

@MurielSpriggs

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

Lots of UK posters have said it is an insult. Maybe not in your region but clearly it is in some.

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

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

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

I really like Laszlo.

I wouldn't go with Nimrod.

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.

Makes me think of the greenday album. Good album!

Gosh. Not Nimrod!

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.

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

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???

Of yours, Laszlo is the nicest sounding.

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.

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.

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.

Voyk sounds fine but Vajk will be mispronounced and looks far too much like vaj = vagina.

Nimrod sounds like a insult, Zoltan sounds like a magician, and Vajk will result in a lifetime of comments about his name. Laszlo is fine, but will also be misspelt — and people will miss off diacritics from whatever name you go with.

I've never heard of nimrod as an insult. I would think of the military aircraft. I would never use it as a name - it would be like calling your child Spitfire etc. Though I suppose it could be shortened to Rod, which would be fine, though old fashioned. I'd go for László.

Looney tunes use it extensively as an insult based off a Bible story

When I read it that came to my head immediately. Check out Bugs Bunny, I think he says it a lot