Characters who are "played by" more than one person, like the Dread Pirate Roberts

[Rachel]

I'm looking for suggestions for books with characters who are "played by" more than one person, so the character's name is more of a title that's passed along from one person to the next.

There's an example of what I mean in The Princess Bride. I've actually only seen the film, but it turns out that (view spoiler)[ The Dread Pirate Roberts is like a character inhabited by various people, Westley inherited the role from someone else, and at the end it is suggested that Inigo might take up the role (hide spoiler)]

Any other suggestions for books where this happens? I'm sure I have seen this trope before but can't remember where.

[Lori]

The Bright Girl in Gone South by Robert McCammon is a hand-me-down name and title.

[Joseph]

You might like The Secret History of the Pink Carnation by Lauren Willig.

[Rosa]

Gone South for Lori's suggestion.
In the Frog Princess series by E.D. Baker, the Green Witch is an inherited title.

[Ann aka Iftcan]

Sweep in Peace has a character like this in it. Warning though--this is book 2 in a series, of which there are 3 books out so far. And you definitely need to have read the previous book to totally understand what is going on. You might be able to read it as a stand-alone, but, well, some of the action in the book builds on things from the first book.

[Aerulan]

Are you particularly looking for ones where the name=title/position-ness is unknown to the other characters and people in general?

Because I feel like I've read some (and of course I'm not recalling the titles right now, because my brain is useless) where people take on a name that's really more of a title/position but I'm not sure that it was something unknown to everyone else and they thought it was all one person like in Princess Bride.

[Ann aka Iftcan]

Diana Wynne Jones has a character like this, but it's known that it's a TITLE rather than a name. The Chronicles of Chrestomanci, Vol. 1 OK, let me correct that--it's known on the homeworld of Chrestomanci. The stories take place over a closed loop of 7 or 8 or 10 or something parallel worlds. And Chrestomanci is able to move between the worlds, and the TITLE is known on the non-homeworld world's in the loop.

[Rachel]

Thanks for all the suggestions. If anyone is interested, TV Tropes calls this a Legacy Character: http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php...

I realised the example I was trying to remember was actually something from Batman, but I'd still be interested to hear any more ideas.

[Kell I Am]

If you like historical romance, Julie Garwood has a four book series, Julie Garwood Crown's Spies Series: Books 1-2: The Lion's Lady & Guardian Angel and Julie Garwood Crown's Spies Series: Books 3-4: The Gift & Castles. Books 2 & 3 contain the character "Pagan"

[Abigail]

Eugenides, in Megan Whalen Turner's The Queen's Thief series. It's his name, but also a title he inherits from his grandfather. Also, the kings and queens of the three countries of Eddis, Sounis, and Attolia are known by titles that are different from their given names. For example, the queen of Attolia is known by her title Attolia, but her given name is Irene. Book 1: The Thief

[Annamariah]

This is also from historical romance category: In Elizabeth Hoyt's Maiden Lane series there is a character called "the Ghost of St. Giles", who turns out to be more than just one person.

[Melanti]

Jackaroo by Cynthia Voigt.

Over the years, various people have taken up the role of a Robin Hood-esqe folk hero