Fame
"August Renoir," "Barbara Mandrell," "Charlemagne," "Chief Seattle," "Henry Ford," "Napoleon" and "Oklahoma" are famous roses named after famous people (the last is a state that is famous for its involvement with the Dust Bowl). However, none of them were named after nurserymen.
While you may not be famous in the Henry Ford way, you'll be the bee's knees to all of your plant friends, and those are the only opinions you care about anyway. If they could pick you up and carry you about the nursery on their vines and branches, they would.