Kirk sits next to 3 phonetic neighbors — Kirby, Kurt, and Clark are the closest matches by sound. Most share Kirk's Scottish cluster, so the rhythm and vowel shape carry across the list.
You searched for names like
"church, one who lives by a church"
"son of Dick, son of Richard"
"wise one, seer"
"invented by Sir Walter Scott, based on Old English Cerdic"
"dog star"
"free ruler, powerful peace"
"God has helped"
"defender of men"
"made of gold, radiant"
"estate ruler, powerful home"
"pine tree"
"son of"
"God has remembered"
"noble spear (Edgar-derived)"
"earth"
"fictional Fire Nation prince name"
"island meadow"
"of the crow, raven-haired"
"brave"
"western meadow, western clearing"
"son of Rhys, son of the ardent one"
Similar sound: These names share phonetic patterns with Kirk — similar vowel sounds, consonant clusters, or rhythm.
Shared roots: Several names on this list have Old Norse kirkja origins, giving them the same cultural heritage as Kirk.
Rhythm: Kirk is a 1-syllable name. Names with the same syllable count tend to feel interchangeable when you're narrowing your list.