Shelton sits next to 5 phonetic neighbors — Sheldon, Dalton, and Colton are the closest matches by sound. Most share Shelton's English-origin cluster, so the rhythm and vowel shape carry across the list.
You searched for names like
"from the ledge farm, shelf settlement"
"God has heard (via Sam = Samuel)"
"son of Jack"
"short land, curtailed land"
"the best, most excellent"
"of Apollo, strength"
"son of Flann (red-haired one)"
"modern invented name variant of Hayden"
"God is gracious"
"from the settlement near St. Botolph"
"variant of Karen or Karin"
"from the craggy hills, little hill"
"firebrand, burning stick"
"my light"
"gift of God, godlike"
"child of the sea and wave"
"saddlemaker, one from the homestead"
"protector of people"
"from Hesston (place name)"
"diminutive of Jakob"
"of the vine"
Similar sound: These names share phonetic patterns with Shelton — similar vowel sounds, consonant clusters, or rhythm.
Shared roots: Several names on this list have Old English origins, giving them the same cultural heritage as Shelton.
Rhythm: Shelton is a 2-syllable name. Names with the same syllable count tend to feel interchangeable when you're narrowing your list.