Espen sits next to 3 phonetic neighbors — Aspen, Esme, and Astrid 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"
"ford near the crows"
"quick, swift"
"musical, soaring"
"heavenly, sublime"
"air, song"
"hare's land"
"little rose"
"heavenly flower; royal child of heaven"
"virtuous, excellent, distinguished"
"noble, of noble kind"
"industrious, hardworking"
"farmer, earthworker"
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.