Elsie sits next to 4 phonetic neighbors — Elsa, Elsie, and Alec are the closest matches by sound. Most share Elsie's English-origin cluster, so the rhythm and vowel shape carry across the list.
You searched for names like
"pledged to God"
"dwelling place"
"Noble, patrician (via Patrick)"
"farm garden, upper estate enclosure"
"writer, creator of works"
"merciful, gracious"
"Exclamation of triumphant discovery"
"bell ringer"
"modern American coinage; possibly echoing Lateran (the Roman hill)"
"Yahweh saves"
"slender; narrow passage"
"home ruler"
Similar sound: These names share phonetic patterns with Elsie — similar vowel sounds, consonant clusters, or rhythm.
Shared roots: Several names on this list have Hebrew (via Elizabeth) origins, giving them the same cultural heritage as Elsie.
Rhythm: Elsie is a 2-syllable name. Names with the same syllable count tend to feel interchangeable when you're narrowing your list.