Santa's Reindeer Names in Order, Their Meanings and Why They Are Female

Santa's reindeer names are Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner and Blitzen, with Rudolph leading the way at the front. The first eight come from the poem we now call "'Twas the Night Before Christmas", first published in 1823, and Rudolph joined the team in 1939.¹²

Most British children can rattle off the names, but few grown-ups know that two of them started life in Dutch, that the spelling changed twice, or that Father Christmas almost certainly flies with a team of girls. Real reindeer are also more remarkable than the cartoons suggest, and Britain has its own herd in the Scottish Highlands.

Here you will find the reindeer names in order, what they mean, where Rudolph came from, and the science behind antlers, red noses and clicking knees. Handy for the next time someone at the dinner table asks.

Santa's reindeer names in order

The order comes straight from the poem: "Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen! On, Comet! on, Cupid! on, Donder and Blitzen!" Today most people say Donner rather than Donder.¹

Santa reindeer names and meanings

Six of the names are ordinary English words that describe speed, grace or a bit of mischief. The last two are different. In the 1823 version they were Dunder and Blixem, Dutch for thunder and lightning, a nod to the old Dutch roots of Santa Claus in New York.¹ Vixen is the odd one out in another way: it means a female fox.

Santa's reindeer names origin: who wrote the poem?

The poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas" appeared anonymously in the Troy Sentinel in New York on 23 December 1823. Clement Clarke Moore claimed it in 1837 and changed the names to Donder and Blitzen in his 1844 collection of poems.¹⁵ Some scholars believe Henry Livingston Jr. wrote it instead. A 2016 study leaned towards Livingston, while a 2023 analysis by Jerman and Argamon favoured Moore, so the question is still debated.⁵

Where did Rudolph come from?

Rudolph is much younger than the other eight. Robert L. May wrote the story in 1939 as a free colouring booklet for the American department store chain Montgomery Ward, and around 2.4 million copies were handed out in the first year (the University of Utah gives 2.5 million).²⁶ The song by Johnny Marks followed in 1949. Gene Autry's recording went to number one that Christmas and has sold around 25 million copies.² Many families know Rudolph best from the stop-motion TV special, first shown on NBC on 6 December 1964.⁷

Why is Rudolph's nose red?

Scientists have actually looked into this. In the BMJ's Christmas issue of December 2012, Dutch and Norwegian researchers reported that the nasal blood vessels of reindeer are about 25% denser than those of humans. That extra blood flow keeps the nose warm and would make it glow red in the cold.³⁸

Are Santa's reindeer female?

Almost certainly. In reindeer, unlike most deer, both males and females normally grow antlers.⁹ Males drop theirs in late autumn or early winter, while females keep them until spring or even summer.¹⁰⁹ The New Statesman drew the logical conclusion: a team pulling a sleigh on 24 December with full antlers is most likely female.¹¹ So Dasher, Dancer and Comet may well be girls.

Do Santa's reindeer have antlers?

In picture books, always. In real life they do too, at least the females at Christmas. When the males shed their antlers, the antlered females rise to the top of the herd and get the best feeding spots.¹⁰

Real reindeer: what science says

What do Santa's reindeer eat?

Their favourite food is reindeer lichen, which they dig out from under the snow with their hooves.¹⁰ A carrot on Christmas Eve is a British tradition rather than a reindeer diet, but nobody has ever complained.

Reindeer can see ultraviolet light

A study led by Glen Jeffery at UCL found in 2011 that reindeer can see ultraviolet light. Snow reflects about 90% of UV, while lichen absorbs it and appears dark, which helps the animals find food in the long Arctic twilight.¹²

Why do reindeer knees click?

Many reindeer make a clicking sound as they walk, caused by tendons slipping over small bones in the feet.¹⁰ The sound helps the herd keep together in fog or blizzards.¹³ Rudolph's nose would not have been the only way to find each other.

Reindeer in Britain: the Cairngorm herd

Reindeer were last hunted in Scotland around 800 years ago.¹⁴ They returned on 12 April 1952, when the Sami reindeer herder Mikel Utsi and Dr Ethel Lindgren brought the first animals over on the S.S. Sarek.¹⁵ The herd has been free-ranging since 1954 on around 10,000 acres of mountain land.¹⁶ Today it is Britain's only free-ranging herd, with around 150 reindeer in the Cairngorms and Glenlivet.⁴ A visit is a lovely December day out if you are in the Highlands.

How many reindeer would Santa really need?

In January 1990 the American magazine Spy did the maths with tongue firmly in cheek. With 91.8 million households to visit in 31 hours, Santa would have to make 822.6 visits per second and carry 353,430 tons of presents. That would need 214,200 reindeer, not nine.¹⁷ Luckily, as every child knows, Santa's reindeer can fly.

Want to know where the team is heading on Christmas Eve? Follow them with our Santa tracker, and remember to post your child's letter to Santa's address in the UK in time. If you have ever wondered why Santa wears red, read did Coca-Cola invent Santa?

Santa's reindeer names: common 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. Rudolph was added in 1939 and usually leads at the front.

Are Santa's reindeer male or female?

Most likely female. Both sexes grow antlers, but males drop theirs in late autumn or early winter, while females keep them until spring. A team with antlers on Christmas Eve would therefore be mostly female.

Do Santa's reindeer have antlers?

In nearly every picture, yes. Real reindeer of both sexes grow antlers.

What do Santa's reindeer eat?

Real reindeer mainly eat reindeer lichen, which they dig out from under the snow. British children traditionally leave a carrot, which Royal Mail also recommends for Rudolph.

Is it Donner or Donder?

Both. The 1823 poem said Dunder, Moore changed it to Donder in 1844, and Donner became the usual spelling in the early 20th century. All of them mean thunder.

Are there real reindeer in the UK?

Yes. The Cairngorm Reindeer Herd in Scotland is Britain's only free-ranging herd, with around 150 animals. Reindeer were brought back to Scotland in 1952.

Sources

1. 1Wikipedia: Santa Claus's reindeer (en.wikipedia.org)
2. 2Wikipedia: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (en.wikipedia.org)
3. 3ScienceDaily: Why Rudolph's nose is red (BMJ, 2012) (sciencedaily.com)
4. 4The Cairngorm Reindeer Herd (cairngormreindeer.co.uk)
5. 5Wikipedia: Clement Clarke Moore (en.wikipedia.org)
6. 6University of Utah Open Book: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (openbook.lib.utah.edu)
7. 7Wikipedia: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (TV special) (en.wikipedia.org)
8. 8The Local Norway: Why Rudolph's nose is so bright (thelocal.no)
9. 9National Wildlife Federation: 12 Things You May Not Know About Reindeer (nwf.org)
10. 10Wikipedia: Reindeer (en.wikipedia.org)
11. 11New Statesman: Science proves Santa's sleigh is pulled by a team of women (2017) (newstatesman.com)
12. 12Lab News: Rudolph sees blue (labnews.co.uk)
13. 13Ohio State University: Why do reindeer knees click? (u.osu.edu)
14. 14The Cairngorm Reindeer Herd: History of the herd (cairngormreindeer.co.uk)
15. 15The Cairngorm Reindeer Herd: How it all began (cairngormreindeer.co.uk)
16. 16The Cairngorm Reindeer Herd: Free-ranging since 1954 (cairngormreindeer.co.uk)
17. 17Spy magazine (1990): Is there a Santa Claus? (archived copy) (stanford.edu)