Anja sits next to 4 phonetic neighbors — Anna, Anya, and Sonja are the closest matches by sound. Most share Anja's German-origin cluster, so the rhythm and vowel shape carry across the list.
You searched for names like
"grace, favor"
"God has answered"
"dance, graceful movement"
"cloud clearing"
"bright, shining"
"free woman, free man"
"dew of the sea"
"great, venerable, majestic"
"bright, shining one"
"successful, prosperous"
"she who looks out"
"dark, black (Irish root)"
"new, modern"
"star of the sea"
"YHWH has shown favor"
"victory, triumph"
"little girl, maiden"
Similar sound: These names share phonetic patterns with Anja — similar vowel sounds, consonant clusters, or rhythm.
Shared roots: Several names on this list have Hebrew via Germanic origins, giving them the same cultural heritage as Anja.
Rhythm: Anja is a 2-syllable name. Names with the same syllable count tend to feel interchangeable when you're narrowing your list.