I also have to believe that the stranger is Pinocchio. He has said more than once he “cannot tell a lie”.
When Emma finally got him to tell his name, he said August W. Booth. After she prodded, he then told her his middle name (which we will probably never hear mentioned again).
His middle name has two possibilities because they both sound the same. If his name is Wayne, it could be a reference to Bruce Wayne’s adversary the Riddler AKA Edward “E.” Nigma (enigma) … however, if his middle name is Wain, then it could relate to the Old English word “wegan” (to move) and then M-W refers this to the word “Way” which has several possibilities – “an opening for passage”, “method of accomplishing”, “direction”, etc.
His middle name could be both Wayne and Wain.
I suspect that August was the 7 year old boy who “found” Emma (Emma looking at old newspaper clippings that said a 7 year old boy found her) His father probably sent him out of fairyland before the curse. Pinocchio looked to be about 7 years old at the time of the pending curse.
Was Pinocchio made out of the same magic tree that the cabinet was made out of? Did the blue fairy help somehow? Did Geppetto put him in the same tree cabinet after Emma but before the curse finally took hold. (hence Booth?)
Don't grow up. It's a trap.