Leonid sits next to 3 phonetic neighbors — Leonard, Leonidas, and Leon are the closest matches by sound. Most share Leonid's Russian-origin cluster, so the rhythm and vowel shape carry across the list.
You searched for names like
"son of the lion, lion-like"
"tiller of the soil"
"God is salvation"
"devoted to Demeter, follower of the earth goddess"
"copper (via the island name)"
"myrrh, fragrant resin"
"defender of the people"
"God is gracious"
"the Messiah"
"unwavering, firm"
"blind one (folk etymology)"
"battle, fighter, combatant"
"God saves, salvation"
"lion"
"excellent end goal"
"immortal, undying"
"night"
"my God is Yahweh"
Similar sound: These names share phonetic patterns with Leonid — similar vowel sounds, consonant clusters, or rhythm.
Shared roots: Several names on this list have Greek leon (lion) origins, giving them the same cultural heritage as Leonid.
Rhythm: Leonid is a 3-syllable name. Names with the same syllable count tend to feel interchangeable when you're narrowing your list.