How Eric Blair became George Orwell …

 and much more: The Best George Orwell Books | Five Books Expert Recommendations, (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)

…  he was staying in Suffolk at his parent’s house. He went on a day-trip to Ipswich, the county town, and came back and said to his then-girlfriend, ‘I’m going to call myself George Orwell. It’s the king’s name, ‘George’—good, solid English name—and ‘Orwell’ is the name of the local river that flows through Suffolk.’ So, George Orwell. A very simple process, in the end.