According to interviews by Taliaferro, Huey, Dewey, and Louie were originally named after two political figures and an animator of the time:
Huey was named after Huey Long (1893–1935) of Louisiana.
Dewey was named after Admiral George Dewey (1837–1917) of the Spanish–American War.
Louie was named after animator Louie Schmitt (1908–1993).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huey,_Dewey,_and_Louie