Blakely sits next to 3 phonetic neighbors — Blake, Brantley, and Bradley are the closest matches by sound. Most share Blakely's English-origin cluster, so the rhythm and vowel shape carry across the list.
You searched for names like
"dark wood clearing"
"desired, longed for"
"son of the gray-haired one"
"from Alba (the white city)"
"supplanter, held by the heel (via Jake/Jacob)"
"reddish-brown, russet-colored"
"slender, narrow (from Irish Caolan)"
"settlement by the brushwood"
"noble friend"
"unit of luminous flux (scientific)"
"from the new estate"
"landholder, lord"
"made holy by God's favor"
"Noble ruler; wise and powerful leader. A variant of the Old German ..."
"surname used as given name"
"beloved, dear one"
"of/from Sean — modern American creation"
"royal dynastic heir (constructed language)"
Similar sound: These names share phonetic patterns with Blakely — similar vowel sounds, consonant clusters, or rhythm.
Shared roots: Several names on this list have Old English origins, giving them the same cultural heritage as Blakely.
Rhythm: Blakely is a 3-syllable name. Names with the same syllable count tend to feel interchangeable when you're narrowing your list.