Ilia sits next to 5 phonetic neighbors — Ilya, Eli, and Elias are the closest matches by sound. Most share Ilia's Russian-origin cluster, so the rhythm and vowel shape carry across the list.
You searched for names like
"my God is Yahweh"
"city of Athena; city of wisdom"
"unwavering, firm"
"battle, fighter, combatant"
"God is gracious"
"lord, master"
"blessed, happy"
"God is salvation"
"lion"
"tiller of the soil"
"destroyer"
"one who defies death"
"copper (via the island name)"
"best purpose, superior aim"
"the Messiah"
"divine gift, God-given"
Similar sound: These names share phonetic patterns with Ilia — similar vowel sounds, consonant clusters, or rhythm.
Shared roots: Several names on this list have Hebrew origins, giving them the same cultural heritage as Ilia.
Rhythm: Ilia is a 3-syllable name. Names with the same syllable count tend to feel interchangeable when you're narrowing your list.