Consider this: if the life vest were not named after Ms. West, would you lump them together on a test asking you to group items by category?Well, if the items on the list were "Mae West, Twiggy, Venus, pencil, pear, life preserver", how would *you categorize them?
Hrm, now that I've typed that i can see your point about being contrived. Nevermind.
How about eponymy?
Eponymy: The introduction of a new word into the language from the names of people with whom the things or practices they stand for were associated.
boycott from Capt. Charles Cunningham Boycott;
mesmerize from F. A. Mesmer Hey, check this out 
Date: Tue Sep 21 02:01:30 EDT 1999
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--antonomasia
antonomasia (an-toh-noh-MAY-zhuh) noun
1. The substitution of a title or epithet for a proper name, as in
calling a sovereign "Your Majesty."
2. The substitution of a personal name for a common noun to designate a
member of a group or class, as in calling a traitor a "Benedict Arnold."
