Ailey sits next to 5 phonetic neighbors — Hayley, Haley, and Bailey are the closest matches by sound. Most share Ailey's Scottish cluster, so the rhythm and vowel shape carry across the list.
You searched for names like
"hay meadow, grassy clearing"
"the moon (by association with Artemis)"
"father of joy, my father is joyful"
"bright, shining light"
"modern invented name, possibly related to vale (valley)"
"noble, of noble birth"
"battle mighty, warrior"
"hoped for"
"son of James"
"black, dark"
"famous warrior"
"sublime, lofty"
"sky-colored, blue"
"lily, beautiful flower"
"new, new star"
"pearl"
"short form of names ending in -rin or -ryn"
"God is my light"
"bright, radiant"
"God is my sun/lord"
"of noble birth"
Similar sound: These names share phonetic patterns with Ailey — similar vowel sounds, consonant clusters, or rhythm.
Shared roots: Several names on this list have Old English/Scottish origins, giving them the same cultural heritage as Ailey.
Rhythm: Ailey is a 2-syllable name. Names with the same syllable count tend to feel interchangeable when you're narrowing your list.