Afton sits next to 5 phonetic neighbors — Ashton, Aiden, and Alton are the closest matches by sound. Most share Afton's Scottish cluster, so the rhythm and vowel shape carry across the list.
You searched for names like
"from the Afton river"
"son of the angel, angelic descendant"
"heavenly city, promised land"
"lord, have mercy (liturgical)"
"meadow land, fallow land"
"from the town by the sea"
"soldier"
"God has bestowed, gift of God"
"strength, grace, given by God"
"God is gracious (via Juan/John)"
"modern invented name"
"great tide, sea current"
"creative elaboration of Quinton/Quentin"
"dear, beloved"
"olive tree, peace"
"divine bear"
"character name meaning transformation and power"
"western meadow"
"variant of Amal, meaning work or action"
"rocky land, land of rock"
"keeper of the keys"
Similar sound: These names share phonetic patterns with Afton — similar vowel sounds, consonant clusters, or rhythm.
Shared roots: Several names on this list have Scottish origins, giving them the same cultural heritage as Afton.
Rhythm: Afton is a 2-syllable name. Names with the same syllable count tend to feel interchangeable when you're narrowing your list.