Posted by Tim Cratchit on August 07, 2002 at 21:58:28:
In Reply to: his pen name posted by Sara-jane on August 07, 2002 at 21:20:41:
That is a coincidence, most likely.
Orwell is a small river somewhere in high country in Scotland. George is a british patron-saint. But who knows.
Also, Welles was not much known outside the local scene until 1938 and even more he became famous after doing Citizen Kane.
http://www.hollywoodawards.com/welles/orson.html
Orwells final version of "Down and Out Paris and London" was published in 1932. He chose a pen-name as to not to embarass his family. (It was bad enough to be a salon-socialist at that time. But Orwell wrote semi-authobiographic narration from slums - that was a complete turn-off, in the british upper middle class society)