In 'The Handmaid's Tale', what is the name of the Commander's wife?

In “The Handmaid’s Tale,” the Commander’s wife is Serena Joy.

Serena Joy is a former Christian televangelist and public advocate of traditional domestic roles. In the Republic of Gilead, she becomes the Wife of the Commander known as Fred Waterford. Although Wives occupy the highest permitted social rank for women, Gilead confines them to the home and expects them to perform domestic duties such as gardening and knitting.

Because Serena Joy is believed to be infertile, the Handmaid Offred is assigned to the household. During the Ceremony, the Commander attempts to impregnate Offred while Serena Joy is present. Serena later arranges for Offred to have sex with Nick, hoping to secure a pregnancy and protect the household’s status.

A common mix-up is confusing Serena Joy with Offred, the narrator, or with Rita and Cora, household Marthas who serve the family. Janine is another Handmaid assigned to a different Commander’s household. The novel also suggests that “Serena Joy” may be a pseudonym and that her birth name could be Thelma.