Santa’s reindeer are a legendary group of reindeer that are said to pull Santa Claus’s sleigh through the sky on Christmas Eve. The Santa Reindeer Names List in Order is mentioned in this article. The 12 Santa Claus’s Reindeer Names in order which are traditionally associated with the poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas” (commonly known as “The Night Before Christmas”) are specified. The poem was written by Clement Clarke Moore in 1823 and has played a significant role in shaping the modern image of Santa Claus and his reindeer.
Along with 8 traditional reindeer names of Santa Claus, in more recent adaptations and stories, a ninth reindeer named Rudolph is often added to the Santa Reindeer Names List. Rudolph is known for his glowing red nose, which helps light the way through foggy or stormy weather. Along with 9 Santa Reindeer names including Rudolph, some other names like Olive, Clarice and Bambi, are often mentioned in humorous adaptations or parodies of the original poem which brings the total number of reindeer names to twelve. These names aren’t part of the traditional Santa Claus’s reindeer lineup.
These Santa Claus’s reindeer names are part of folklore and tradition, and their popularity varies across different cultures and adaptations.
12 Santa Reindeer Names List
- Dasher
- Dancer
- Prancer
- Vixen
- Comet
- Cupid
- Donner (changed from Dunder to Donder & then Donner)
- Blitzen (changed from Blixem to Blitzen)
- Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (often added as the ninth reindeer)
- Olive (sometimes mentioned in parodies)
- Clarice (sometimes mentioned in parodies)
- Bambi (sometimes mentioned in parodies)
8 Traditional Santa Claus Reindeer Names History
The 1823 poem by Clement C. Moore, A Visit from St. Nicholas (also known as ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas), is largely credited for the modern Christmas lore that includes eight named reindeer. The poem was first published in the Sentinel of Troy, New York, on 23 December 1823. All eight reindeer were named Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, “Dunder” (thunder) and “Blixem” (lightning). The relevant part of the poem is:-
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and call’d them by name:
“Now! Dasher, now! Dancer, now! Prancer, and Vixen,
“On! Comet, on! Cupid, on! Dunder and Blixem;
“To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
“Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!”
Moore altered the names of the last two reindeer in the poem in the early 1860s to “Donder” and “Blitzen”. The modern German spelling of “Donner” came into use only in the early twentieth-century, well after Moore’s death.
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (9th Name)
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is a fictional reindeer created by Robert L. May. Rudolph is usually depicted as the ninth and youngest of Santa Claus’s reindeer, using his luminous red nose to lead the reindeer team and guide Santa’s sleigh on Christmas Eve.
Rudolph’s story was originally written in verse by Robert L. May for the Montgomery Ward chain of department stores in 1939, and it was published as a book to be given to children in the store at Christmas time.
Other 3 Santa Claus’s Reindeer Names
Olive, Clarice, and Bambi, are often mentioned in humorous adaptations or parodies of the original poem and aren’t part of the traditional reindeer lineup. These names along included along with Rudolph and 8 traditional Santa reindeer names constitute together to form 12 Santa Reindeer names.
L. Frank Baum’s Ten Reindeers
L. Frank Baum’s story “The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus” (1902) includes a list of ten reindeer, none of which match those in “A Visit from St. Nicholas”. Santa’s principal reindeer are Flossie and Glossie, and he gathers others named Racer and Pacer, Reckless and Speckless, Fearless and Peerless, and Ready and Steady.
