What is the name of the Animus user in the original Assassin's Creed game?

Desmond Miles is the Animus user in the original Assassin's Creed game.

Desmond is a modern-day descendant of several important Assassins. Abstergo Industries captures him and uses the Animus, a machine that lets a person relive genetic memories, to access the life of his ancestor Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad.

Although players spend much of the first game controlling Altaïr, Desmond provides the modern framework for the story. His experiences help establish the franchise's two-layer narrative: historical adventures are connected to a continuing conflict in the present day.

Desmond is sometimes confused with William Miles, his father and a senior Assassin, or with Clay Kaczmarek, another person connected to the Animus. Layla Hassan belongs to a later era of the series. These characters all connect to the modern storyline, but Desmond is the original game's central Animus subject.