What was the real name of George Orwell?

Eric Arthur Blair (1903 –1950 better known by his pen name George Orwell, was an English novelist, essayist, journalist and critic whose work is marked by lucid prose, awareness of social injustice, opposition to totalitarianism and outspoken support of democratic socialism. In 2008, The Times ranked him second on a list of "The 50 greatest British writers since 1945.