I’m expecting my second child, first boy. DD’s name is [name_f]Rosemary[/name_f], but she goes exclusively by [name_f]Rosie[/name_f]. I find boys names much harder! We’ve got pretty typical nameberry requirements for a name - familiar but unique, will fit our son throughout life, nice meaning, won’t sound dated, etc.
The only name we currently like is [name_m]Walden[/name_m]. I really like the nickname [name_m]Walt[/name_m], and I would have been interested in [name_m]Walter[/name_m] but my last name sounds like “White,” and I don’t want my child’s name to conjure up a meth kingpin 
So this got me looking into alternative avenues to the nn [name_m]Walt[/name_m] and I came across [name_m]Walden[/name_m].
The more I read about the name [name_m]Walden[/name_m], the more I like it. We actually had visited [name_m]Walden[/name_m]'s pond for the first time shortly before I got pregnant. I love that it calls forth nature and calm. [name_m]Henry[/name_m] [name_m]David[/name_m] [name_m]Thoreau[/name_m]'s book is full of beautiful passages about nature and simple living. And I feel like the name could fit a child via the nicknames [name_m]Walt[/name_m] or [name_u]Wally[/name_u]. To top it off, DH loved it when I suggested it, and he normally vetoes everything I suggest!
All that said, I’ve never met a [name_m]Walden[/name_m] in real life, so I’d love some honest opinions on it. These are my concerns: [name_f]Do[/name_f] you think it would get lost in all the popular -en names ([name_u]Aiden[/name_u], [name_u]Jayden[/name_u], etc)? Is it too stiff for modern use? Does it feel like we’re trying to be trendy using a surname-name (or a nature name)? Is it sufficiently masculine?
THANK YOU!
I say go for it. [name_m]Walt[/name_m] and [name_u]Wally[/name_u] are super cute for a young boy and [name_m]Walden[/name_m] holds strong enough for a grown man.