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"
"strong ruler"
"of the valley"
"to live, to dwell"
"precious gem, jewel"
"follower of Christ, anointed one"
"god of justice"
"strength of God"
"pure, chaste"
"wise counsel"
"ruler of the home"
"God is gracious"
"the Lord recalled"
"messiah"
"son of Ben"
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.