Kolene sits next to 4 phonetic neighbors — Colleen, Coleen, and Jolene are the closest matches by sound. Most share Kolene's Irish-rooted cluster, so the rhythm and vowel shape carry across the list.
You searched for names like
"girl, young woman"
"Royal Hill, King's Mountain"
"peace"
"iris flower"
"term of endearment"
"yew wood"
"Sorrowful one, broken-hearted"
"creative coinage combining Mon- (advisor) and -ella (beautiful)"
"queen, regal grace"
"Flowering; blooming"
"hare meadow"
"Lily of the valley; sweet hollow"
"plain, fertile flatland"
Similar sound: These names share phonetic patterns with Kolene — similar vowel sounds, consonant clusters, or rhythm.
Shared roots: Several names on this list have Irish origins, giving them the same cultural heritage as Kolene.
Rhythm: Kolene is a 3-syllable name. Names with the same syllable count tend to feel interchangeable when you're narrowing your list.