Masha sits next to 4 phonetic neighbors — Sasha, Dasha, and Mia are the closest matches by sound. Most share Masha's Russian-origin cluster, so the rhythm and vowel shape carry across the list.
You searched for names like
"of the sea, bitter"
"tender, delicate"
"light, shining, bright"
"the beloved, darling"
"diminutive of Zora meaning dawn or aurora"
"tranquility, serenity"
"God is gracious, God is merciful"
"bright, shining, torch"
"hope"
"each of the two"
"fairy queen"
"of the Julian family"
"golden, made of gold"
"triumphant one"
"victorious one"
"lily flower, pure as a lily"
"daughter of Jana, of gracious spirit"
Similar sound: These names share phonetic patterns with Masha — similar vowel sounds, consonant clusters, or rhythm.
Shared roots: Several names on this list have Hebrew via Maria origins, giving them the same cultural heritage as Masha.
Rhythm: Masha is a 2-syllable name. Names with the same syllable count tend to feel interchangeable when you're narrowing your list.