Espen sits next to 4 phonetic neighbors — Aspen, Easton, and Sven are the closest matches by sound. Most share Espen's Scandinavian cluster, so the rhythm and vowel shape carry across the list.
You searched for names like
"divine bear, god-bear"
"of the valley"
"follower of Christ, anointed one"
"home ruler"
"god of justice"
"settler, homesteader"
"glorious power"
"strong ruler"
"deciding warrior"
"God is gracious"
"anointed one"
"son of the right hand"
"pure, chaste"
"strength of God"
"God has remembered"
"little joy"
"bearer of Christ, Christ-carrier"
Similar sound: These names share phonetic patterns with Espen — similar vowel sounds, consonant clusters, or rhythm.
Shared roots: Several names on this list have Old Norse origins, giving them the same cultural heritage as Espen.
Rhythm: Espen is a 2-syllable name. Names with the same syllable count tend to feel interchangeable when you're narrowing your list.