Mei sits next to 3 phonetic neighbors — Mae, May, and Mia are the closest matches by sound. Most share Mei's Chinese cluster, so the rhythm and vowel shape carry across the list.
You searched for names like
"plum blossom"
"conch shell"
"auspicious, praiseworthy"
"deep beauty, precious radiance"
"night rain"
"gods will, divine wonder"
"pleasant, agreeable"
"bright, clever (min) + great/summer (ha)"
"bright village"
Similar sound: These names share phonetic patterns with Mei — similar vowel sounds, consonant clusters, or rhythm.
Shared roots: Several names on this list have Chinese origins, giving them the same cultural heritage as Mei.
Rhythm: Mei is a 1-syllable name. Names with the same syllable count tend to feel interchangeable when you're narrowing your list.