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S17h. Naming in science
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How do scientific concepts, effects, or inventions named after
their discoverers?

It is good practice to name important concepts, effects, or inventions
created by esteemed collegues after them - good names are always hard 
to find, and besides names clearly related to the content, names 
naturally related to the history stick best. If a naming is successful 
(in that others find it appropriate and useful) it will spread, 
and soon everywhere is using it. Then the name is established.

It is bad practice if authors calls something by their own name
before it has been established by others. It suggests both vanity 
and a lack of confidence that others do a good naming job.
And if the self chosen vanity name does not stick, it serves them 
right for having made a fool of themselves.

On the other hand, naming is at times unfair. Not rarely in the past, 
a concept (or theorem, etc.) got the name of one of its main proponents 
rather than that of its creator. 
   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stigler%27s_law_of_eponymy
There are several reasons for this. 

It takes time (and a certain amount of interest) to find the true 
origin of a concept; but a good name is needed once it is used by more 
than a few people. But once a name is established, it is nearly 
impossible to change it. 

A concept may also be rediscovered independent of its first inception.
If the time wasn't ripe for it the first time, it is likely that the 
name of the rediscoverer sticks, and the voices of those who had known
the first source come too late. 

See also:
   List of misnamed theorems
   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_misnamed_theorems