Lanie sits next to 5 phonetic neighbors — Laney, Lane, and Elaine are the closest matches by sound. Most share Lanie's English-origin cluster, so the rhythm and vowel shape carry across the list.
You searched for names like
"bright, shining light"
"heavenly mist"
"modern invented name, victory lake"
"dawn, golden"
"divine, of the gods/spirits"
"creative American coinage"
"heavenly sea, sky and ocean"
"torch, bright one"
"flowing water, stream"
"brave, valiant (from Ry- element)"
"light, illuminated"
"Jewish woman"
"beautiful Mary"
"grace, favored by God"
"lapis lazuli beauty"
"woman of power, female leader"
"youthful, downy-bearded"
"the Lord is my God"
"land of the Aryans"
"the beloved one"
"gift of God"
Similar sound: These names share phonetic patterns with Lanie — similar vowel sounds, consonant clusters, or rhythm.
Shared roots: Several names on this list have Old French (via Helen) origins, giving them the same cultural heritage as Lanie.
Rhythm: Lanie is a 2-syllable name. Names with the same syllable count tend to feel interchangeable when you're narrowing your list.