Welles sits next to 3 phonetic neighbors — Wells, Wesley, and Wallace are the closest matches by sound. Most share Welles's English-origin cluster, so the rhythm and vowel shape carry across the list.
You searched for names like
"from the spring or well"
"son of Myer/Meyer"
"God is my reward"
"one who cuts, cutter of cloth or stone"
"sickness; weakness"
"victory of the people"
"earth (via Gaia connection)"
"from Hadria, near the Adriatic"
"Yahweh has given"
"powerful, excellent, good feeling"
"strong ruler"
"son of the right hand"
"handsome, beautiful"
"creative American original"
"raven (sacred Celtic bird)"
"literary name: the ranger Aragorn"
"hunting grounds"
"none compares to God"
"ruler of the people"
"keen ruler, bold king"
"from Old English gerefa (administrator)"
Similar sound: These names share phonetic patterns with Welles — 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 Welles.
Rhythm: Welles is a 1-syllable name. Names with the same syllable count tend to feel interchangeable when you're narrowing your list.