The story
Disputed. The name was assigned in 1844 by John James Audubon, who wrote, "I have named this interesting species after my young friend Doctor Le Conte, son of Major Le Conte, so well known among naturalists, and who is, like his father, much attached to the study of natural history." It is generally believed that he meant John Lawrence LeConte (whose father had been an Army surveyor with the rank of major).
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.