Richard sits next to 3 phonetic neighbors — Richardson, Richer, and Ricard are the closest matches by sound. Most share Richard's English-origin cluster, so the rhythm and vowel shape carry across the list.
You searched for names like
"strong ruler, powerful leader"
"may God protect"
"stranger, foreigner"
"cheerful, pleasant"
"from the Artorius family"
"from the wetlands"
"God is good; Yahweh is good"
"divine gift"
"strength, dominance"
"mountain of strength; exalted"
"laughter, joy"
"hound lover, dog enthusiast"
"modern coinage combining Jay + Len"
"keeper of horses, horse servant"
"he has heard, God has heard"
"born of fire"
"speckled, freckled"
"raven hill"
"victory of the people"
"army man, soldier"
"place of elms"
Similar sound: These names share phonetic patterns with Richard — similar vowel sounds, consonant clusters, or rhythm.
Shared roots: Several names on this list have Germanic origins, giving them the same cultural heritage as Richard.
Rhythm: Richard is a 2-syllable name. Names with the same syllable count tend to feel interchangeable when you're narrowing your list.