In The Exorcist, the possessed girl played by Linda Blair is named Regan.
Regan MacNeil is the twelve-year-old daughter of actress Chris MacNeil, played by Ellen Burstyn. The story follows Chris as she seeks medical and psychiatric explanations for Regan’s increasingly disturbing behavior before turning to the Catholic Church.
Linda Blair was 14 when the film was released in 1973, although Regan is written as a younger child. Blair’s performance earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress, making her one of the film’s most recognizable elements.
The name can be confused with the film’s other major characters, especially Chris MacNeil, Father Karras, and Father Merrin. Regan is the child at the center of the supernatural events, while Pazuzu is the demon commonly associated with the possession.