[name_m]Alfred[/name_m] is unexpected, but you might wind up with [name_u]Alfie[/name_u] as a nickname since it’s so intuitive. [name_m]Alf[/name_m] makes me think of that TV show…
[name_m]Rufus[/name_m] is not my style, and yes! It does make me think of a dog name (although that doesn’t have to be a bad thing, I give my pets names that I would have named children…)
I love [name_u]Max[/name_u], I don’t think it’s boring. You could always give him a longer variation like [name_m]Maximus[/name_m], [name_m]Maximillian[/name_m], or [name_m]Maxim[/name_m]/e just to help him stand out a bit if you’d like.
[name_m]Tobias[/name_m], [name_u]Jude[/name_u], [name_m]Jasper[/name_m], and [name_u]Rowan[/name_u] I love. I don’t think [name_u]Rowan[/name_u] is a fad at all. Seems more in the long established [name_u]Owen[/name_u] family to me.
[name_m]Caspar[/name_m] I really like but I worry it might still be too Friendly Ghost.
[name_m]Wilfred[/name_m] is not my style, but it’s not bad. Gives me a very vintage Grandpa vibe that has yet to make its comeback.
Suggestions:
[name_m]Albert[/name_m] (similar to [name_m]Alfred[/name_m])
[name_m]Bartholomew[/name_m]
[name_m]Caspian[/name_m] (instead of [name_m]Caspar[/name_m])
[name_m]Edmund[/name_m]
[name_m]Louis[/name_m]
[name_m]Malcolm[/name_m]
[name_m]Matthias[/name_m]
[name_m]Oscar[/name_m]
[name_u]Quinn[/name_u]
[name_u]Thaddeus[/name_u] (like [name_m]Tobias[/name_m])
[name_m]Vincent[/name_m]
Sorry if I’m off the mark. Some of the names ([name_u]Jude[/name_u], [name_m]Jasper[/name_m], [name_u]Rowan[/name_u], [name_u]Max[/name_u], [name_m]Tobias[/name_m]) were more contemporary to me, but others ([name_m]Alfred[/name_m], [name_m]Rufus[/name_m], and [name_m]Wilfred[/name_m]) extremely more obscure vintage, with [name_m]Caspar[/name_m] in a league of its own. So I tried to go with what gave me a similar feel. Overall, [name_u]Jude[/name_u], [name_m]Jasper[/name_m], [name_u]Rowan[/name_u], [name_u]Max[/name_u], and [name_m]Tobias[/name_m] are my favourites from your list and I would love to see [name_m]Caspar[/name_m] used. It’s a fantastic name! Good luck!