Excel sits next to 4 phonetic neighbors — Axel, Excell, and Excel are the closest matches by sound. Most share Excel's Latin-origin cluster, so the rhythm and vowel shape carry across the list.
You searched for names like
"excellence, superior quality"
"wide, broad"
"one who lives or works in the forest"
"ardent friend, eager companion"
"nourishing, restorative (plant name connection)"
"wolf"
"surname of English origin, possibly place or occupational"
"brave advisor"
"meadow by the bow or bend"
"happy, fortunate"
"hill of the people"
"modern invented name, unknown etymology"
"faithful, true, honest"
"Farm or dwelling for a herd of animals"
"great, venerable"
"Courteous, polite, of the court"
Similar sound: These names share phonetic patterns with Excel — similar vowel sounds, consonant clusters, or rhythm.
Shared roots: Several names on this list have Latin origins, giving them the same cultural heritage as Excel.
Rhythm: Excel is a 2-syllable name. Names with the same syllable count tend to feel interchangeable when you're narrowing your list.