Sonya sits next to 4 phonetic neighbors — Sonia, Tanya, and Tonya are the closest matches by sound. Most share Sonya's Russian-origin cluster, so the rhythm and vowel shape carry across the list.
You searched for names like
"wisdom"
"creative American coinage"
"from the heathered meadow (as short for Hadley)"
"lake meadow"
"of noble character"
"courageous, lively"
"God has heard"
"Yahweh is good"
"other, foreign honor"
"the Lord is my God"
"bright serpent, wise one"
"generous love, benevolence"
"passionate, spirited"
"the other Aenor / bright one"
"first, beginning"
"land of Éire, emerald isle"
"symbol of wisdom and prosperity"
"cloth walker, fuller"
"delight, exuberance"
"mercy (if from Eleanor)"
"truth"
Similar sound: These names share phonetic patterns with Sonya — similar vowel sounds, consonant clusters, or rhythm.
Shared roots: Several names on this list have Greek origins, giving them the same cultural heritage as Sonya.
Rhythm: Sonya is a 2-syllable name. Names with the same syllable count tend to feel interchangeable when you're narrowing your list.