Santa's Reindeer Names in Order (and What They Mean)

Santa's reindeer names in order are Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner and Blitzen, plus Rudolph at the front. The first eight come from the poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas,” first printed in the Troy Sentinel in New York on December 23, 1823.¹

Rudolph joined more than a century later: in 1939 as a booklet from a Chicago department store, and in 1949 as the song your kids still sing.²¹

Here you'll find all the names and what they mean, why Donner used to be called Dunder, the real science behind a red nose, and the fun fact that settles the playground debate: Santa's reindeer are probably girls.

Santa's reindeer names in order

The order comes straight from the poem, where Santa calls out his team by name:

The first six names haven't changed since 1823.¹ The poem was published anonymously. Clement Clarke Moore, a New York professor, claimed it in 1844, although some scholars argue that Henry Livingston Jr. wrote it.³

What do the reindeer names mean?

Most names describe how the reindeer move: quick, light and lively. Vixen is the word for a female fox, Comet races through the sky, and Cupid is the Roman god of love. The two last names are the most interesting, because they're not English at all.

Donner and Blitzen: thunder and lightning

In the first printing, reindeer seven and eight were called Dunder and Blixem, from the Dutch words for thunder and lightning. That's a nod to New York's Dutch heritage. Moore changed them to Donder and Blitzen in 1844, and Donner became the standard spelling in the early 20th century.¹

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: the 9th reindeer

Rudolph was created by Robert L. May, a copywriter at the Montgomery Ward department store in Chicago. The store gave the story away to kids as a Christmas booklet in 1939, about 2.5 million copies that first year and 6 million by 1946.² In January 1947 the company transferred the copyright to May himself.²

Songwriter Johnny Marks turned the story into a song, and Gene Autry's 1949 recording made it a hit.²¹ Then came television: the stop-motion special by Rankin/Bass premiered on NBC on December 6, 1964, with Burl Ives as Sam the Snowman. It's the longest-running Christmas TV special, and NBC aired it again for its 60th anniversary in 2024.⁴

Why is Rudolph's nose red?

Science has an answer. In 2012, researchers from the Netherlands and Norway published a study in the BMJ showing that reindeer noses have about 25 percent more blood vessels than human noses. The rich blood supply keeps the nose from freezing and helps regulate brain temperature, so a reindeer nose really can look red.⁵

Are Santa's reindeer girls?

Look at any picture of Santa's team: they all have antlers. That's a clue. Male reindeer usually shed their antlers before Christmas, while pregnant females keep theirs until they give birth in spring, according to Greg Finstad of the University of Alaska Fairbanks Reindeer Research Program.⁶

So a team with antlers on Christmas Eve is most likely made of females, or of castrated males (steers), which also keep their antlers longer. Real sled reindeer are mostly steers. Finstad's dry comment: “You don't hook up your pregnant females to a sled.”⁶ Either way, kids love the idea that Comet and Cupid might be girls.

Are reindeer real? 5 facts about the real animals

Reindeer are very real, and America has its own: reindeer were brought from Siberia to western Alaska in 1892, and herds there grew until the 1930s.⁷ Reindeer and caribou are the same species; caribou are wild, while reindeer can be domesticated.⁷

Sources for the table: National Park Service and National Geographic.⁷⁸ Reindeer are the only deer where both sexes grow antlers (though not every female does), and calves are born in spring with dark brown fur.⁸⁷

Santa's reindeer: more fun for the season

Want more? On Christmas Eve you can watch the whole team fly with our Santa tracker. Curious where Santa himself came from? Read St. Nicholas vs. Santa Claus and find out whether Coca-Cola invented Santa.

Santa's reindeer: frequently asked questions

What are Santa's reindeer names in order?

Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner and Blitzen, in the order of the 1823 poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas.” Rudolph is usually added as the ninth reindeer at the front of the team.

How many reindeer does Santa have?

Eight in the original poem, nine if you count Rudolph, who joined the team in 1939.

Are Santa's reindeer boys or girls?

If they still have antlers on Christmas Eve, very likely girls (or castrated males). Male reindeer usually drop their antlers before Christmas, while pregnant females keep theirs until spring.

Is it Donner or Donder?

Both are correct for their time. The 1823 poem said Dunder, Moore's 1844 version said Donder, and Donner became standard in the early 20th century. Gene Autry's 1949 Rudolph song helped make Donner the familiar spelling.

Where did Rudolph come from?

Robert L. May wrote the story in 1939 for the Montgomery Ward department store in Chicago, which gave away about 2.5 million copies that year.

Are reindeer real?

Yes. Reindeer and caribou are the same species, and reindeer have been herded in Alaska since 1892. They can't fly, but they're built for snow and cold.

Sources

1. 1Wikipedia: Santa Claus's reindeer (en.wikipedia.org)
2. 2University of Utah: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (lib.utah.edu)
3. 3Wikipedia: A Visit from St. Nicholas (en.wikipedia.org)
4. 4NBC Insider: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, what to know (nbc.com)
5. 5ScienceDaily: Why Rudolph's nose is red (2012) (sciencedaily.com)
6. 6NBC News: Santa's reindeer are probably all girls (2008) (nbcnews.com)
7. 7National Park Service: Reindeer vs. caribou (nps.gov)
8. 8National Geographic: Reindeer (nationalgeographic.com)