Sanders sits next to 3 phonetic neighbors — Sander, Anderson, and Leander are the closest matches by sound. Most share Sanders's English-origin cluster, so the rhythm and vowel shape carry across the list.
You searched for names like
"son of Alexander (defender of men)"
"from the gray hill"
"unit of luminous flux (scientific)"
"little red one"
"to flow down, descend"
"to cry out, a wolf's cry"
"little king, kingly"
"beautiful in character"
"God is gracious"
"steadfast, strong"
"great tide, sea current"
"ancient, enduring"
"red king"
"one of the Goths"
"from Brittany, land of the Britons"
"from the fort (place name origin)"
"invented modern name"
"son of Braxton"
"little dark one"
"modern invented name"
"from the east, east settlement"
Similar sound: These names share phonetic patterns with Sanders — similar vowel sounds, consonant clusters, or rhythm.
Shared roots: Several names on this list have English patronymic origins, giving them the same cultural heritage as Sanders.
Rhythm: Sanders is a 2-syllable name. Names with the same syllable count tend to feel interchangeable when you're narrowing your list.