Marlena sits next to 5 phonetic neighbors — Marlene, Marlen, and Magdalena are the closest matches by sound. Most share Marlena's German-origin cluster, so the rhythm and vowel shape carry across the list.
You searched for names like
"drop of the sea, bitter sea"
"from Devon, the deep places"
"life, living"
"divine, of the moon"
"radiant one"
"of the wood, tree-born"
"God is my oath"
"small bouquet of flowers"
"grace, favor"
"grey land, rocky ground"
"bright fame"
"pure, slender"
"from Delphi, the oracle"
"eighth month"
"hazel nut, symbol of wisdom"
"to bind, to tie"
"desired, wished for"
"white, pure"
"pure"
"his gift"
Similar sound: These names share phonetic patterns with Marlena — similar vowel sounds, consonant clusters, or rhythm.
Shared roots: Several names on this list have Hebrew origins, giving them the same cultural heritage as Marlena.
Rhythm: Marlena is a 3-syllable name. Names with the same syllable count tend to feel interchangeable when you're narrowing your list.