Carmen sits next to 4 phonetic neighbors — Karma, Carmel, and Carmine are the closest matches by sound. Most share Carmen's Spanish-origin cluster, so the rhythm and vowel shape carry across the list.
You searched for names like
"song, poem"
"rowan tree (mountain ash)"
"life; living; breath"
"woodland clearing by a church"
"defender of the people"
"noble, free-born youth in service of the temple"
"high place, elevated ground"
"the Holy Trinity; threefold"
"from Laurentum, the laurel city"
"of ancient lineage (from Prisca)"
"bright, shining one"
"labor, toil"
"living, vivacious"
"worthy of love"
"beautiful sound, elegant gem"
"child of light"
"fair, white, blessed"
"star of the sea (via Mary)"
"mighty man of God"
"attendant at religious ceremony"
"ring of light"
Similar sound: These names share phonetic patterns with Carmen — similar vowel sounds, consonant clusters, or rhythm.
Shared roots: Several names on this list have Latin origins, giving them the same cultural heritage as Carmen.
Rhythm: Carmen is a 2-syllable name. Names with the same syllable count tend to feel interchangeable when you're narrowing your list.