What is the name of the protagonist in the TV series?

The protagonist in the television series The Handmaid’s Tale is June Osborne. After Gilead captures her while she is trying to escape with her husband Luke and daughter Hannah, the regime forces her to become a Handmaid.

At the Waterford household, June is called Offred, meaning she is assigned to Commander Fred Waterford. Later, when she is transferred to Commander Joseph Lawrence, she receives another household-based name, Ofjoseph. These changing labels are part of Gilead’s system for erasing women’s identities and treating them as property.

The series makes June’s birth name explicit, unlike Margaret Atwood’s novel, where the narrator’s real name is never confirmed. This difference explains why both “Offred” and “June” are strongly associated with the character. In the television story, however, June Osborne is the protagonist’s canonical personal name, while Offred describes her role under Gilead’s command structure.