Matthew sits next to 4 phonetic neighbors — Nathan, Mathias, and Marcus are the closest matches by sound. Most share Matthew's Hebrew-rooted cluster, so the rhythm and vowel shape carry across the list.
You searched for names like
"gift of God"
"God's gift"
"Gaelic-speaking person; Celtic person"
"divine gift"
"from Lucania"
"little hollow, small meadow"
"young warrior"
"phonetic creation, no traditional meaning"
"barrel maker"
"guide, wide"
"asked for, prayed for"
"grey home"
"one who is celebrated"
"one who carries"
"flourishing"
"may God deliver"
"descendant of the little king"
"supplanter"
"son of Aeson, the hero who sought the Golden Fleece"
"Yahweh is God"
"colt herder, horse keeper"
Similar sound: These names share phonetic patterns with Matthew — similar vowel sounds, consonant clusters, or rhythm.
Shared roots: Several names on this list have Hebrew Mattityahu from mattan and Yahweh origins, giving them the same cultural heritage as Matthew.
Rhythm: Matthew is a 3-syllable name. Names with the same syllable count tend to feel interchangeable when you're narrowing your list.