Maya sits next to 4 phonetic neighbors — Mia, Kaia, and Aya are the closest matches by sound. Most share Maya's Indian-origin cluster, so the rhythm and vowel shape carry across the list.
You searched for names like
"water"
"life, living"
"pearl"
"defender of the people"
"free woman"
"night, dark beauty"
"born at dawn or daylight"
"youthful, downy-bearded"
"short form of names ending in -lia"
"rival, eager to excel"
"symbol of peace and wisdom"
"beautiful"
"weaver, bobbin worker"
"ardor, enthusiasm, fire"
"son of Kenneth"
"young green shoot"
"wild boar meadow"
"race of women"
"light"
"woodland clearing by a church"
Similar sound: These names share phonetic patterns with Maya — similar vowel sounds, consonant clusters, or rhythm.
Shared roots: Several names on this list have Hebrew origins, giving them the same cultural heritage as Maya.
Rhythm: Maya is a 2-syllable name. Names with the same syllable count tend to feel interchangeable when you're narrowing your list.