Have you ever won a prize for doing a good job? Some prizes have special names that come from people who did great things or were really important.
For example, the Nobel Prize is a big prize named after a man named Alfred Nobel. He invented a kind of "explosive" called dynamite that people used in construction and mining. But, he didn't feel good about it because it was also used in wars and hurt people. To make up for that, he left money to make a prize for people who do really good things, like scientists who make discoveries or writers who write great books.
Another prize is the Pulitzer Prize, named after a man named Joseph Pulitzer. He was a newspaper man who did a lot of good things, like helping to build the famous Statue of Liberty in New York City. When he died, he left a lot of money to start a prize for people who write great stories, take great photos or make great music.
So, when someone wins a prize named after a person, it's usually because that person did something great or important that still makes a big impact today.