Livi the whole idea about ,"I will hug him & feed him & name him george." was from a book: Basically Lennie is a mentally disabled & really strong guy who thinks soft furry cuddlies are cute & his best friend is named Geoerge. Its a short book in the drama genre. I read it in high school. You're best keeping the cuteness of the name Geoerge rather than the drama of the book.
Looney Tunes made it funny by turning the situation of George & Lennie, from John Steinbeck's drama book, into something comical & it became popular. I like the funny & the drama they both have good to take in & bad to ignore.