Wellington sits next to 3 phonetic neighbors — Ellington, Pennington, and Harrington are the closest matches by sound. Most share Wellington's English-origin cluster, so the rhythm and vowel shape carry across the list.
You searched for names like
"from the wealthy estate, prosperous settlement"
"manly, warrior (from Andre component)"
"of the morning, daybreak"
"divine smith"
"peaceful territory, land of peace"
"son of Talmai, son of the furrows"
"fair outlook"
"from the fortress"
"Carl's island or stronghold"
"champion, winner"
"fashionable, manner of doing"
"God is my judge"
"strength of God, God is my strength"
"great river"
"from the heathland"
"modern invented name"
"Yahweh is my strength"
"free man"
"rock, stone"
"one who cuts cloth or stone"
"defender of men, protector of the people"
Similar sound: These names share phonetic patterns with Wellington — similar vowel sounds, consonant clusters, or rhythm.
Shared roots: Several names on this list have Old English 'Weola-ingtun' origins, giving them the same cultural heritage as Wellington.
Rhythm: Wellington is a 4-syllable name. Names with the same syllable count tend to feel interchangeable when you're narrowing your list.