Why did the US Navy name ships for David Porter?

Why did the US Navy name several ships after David Porter despite the poor strategic return from his cruise?

The United States needed heroes from the War of 1812, and Porter successfully promoted himself as one even though the material results were much smaller than the public story.

The war began with expansive promises and produced many disappointments, creating a strong demand for figures who could embody success. Porter returned with a dramatic narrative and actively marketed his cruise as heroic service. The limited value of the captured whalers mattered less to public memory than the image of a captain ranging into the Pacific against Britain. Later ship names therefore reflect commemoration and national storytelling as much as a balance sheet of the operation. Naval heritage records what institutions choose to celebrate.