Santa’s Reindeer Names in Order (and Where They Come From)

Santa’s reindeer, in the order they appear in the 1823 poem A Visit from St. Nicholas, are Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner (also written Donder) and Blitzen. Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer who leads the sleigh, joined in 1939, making nine.

Every December someone in the house asks “What are all the reindeer called?”, and everybody gets stuck after Dasher, Dancer and Rudolph. Here is the full list in order, where the names come from, the Donner-or-Donder debate, and some real reindeer facts to impress the kids on Christmas Eve.

The names of Santa’s reindeer, in order

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A handy way to remember the eight is to say them in pairs, the way they appear in the poem: Dasher and Dancer, Prancer and Vixen, Comet and Cupid, Donner and Blitzen.

Where the names come from

The first eight come from the poem A Visit from St. Nicholas, better known as ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas, first published in a newspaper in Troy, New York, on 23 December 1823. In the version most people know, St Nicholas calls to his team: “Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen! On, Comet! on, Cupid! on, Donder and Blitzen!”

The last two names have changed over the years. The 1823 version called them Dunder and Blixem, from Dutch words for thunder and lightning. Later versions, including one Clement Clarke Moore published in 1844, used Donder and Blitzen, and many modern versions, including the Rudolph song, say Donner. So “Donner” and “Donder” are both fine answers in a Christmas quiz.

When did Rudolph join?

Rudolph is more than a hundred years younger than the others. He was created in 1939 by Robert L. May, a copywriter for the American department store Montgomery Ward, for a Christmas colouring book given away to shoppers. The famous song by Johnny Marks followed and became a huge hit when Gene Autry recorded it in 1949, and the 1964 stop-motion television special made Rudolph part of Christmas worldwide. The Rudolph story has a lovely message for children: the thing that made him different turned out to be what everyone needed.

Real reindeer facts for Christmas Eve

• Both male and female reindeer grow antlers, which is unusual among deer. Males usually drop theirs in late autumn after the breeding season, while females keep theirs through winter until they have their calves in spring. So a team with antlers on Christmas Eve is, as wildlife experts like to point out, most likely all female.
• Reindeer grow a new set of antlers every year, and each set is a slightly different shape, a bit like a fingerprint.
• Reindeer eat lichen, often called reindeer moss, which grows on the mountains, plus heather, grasses, sedges and blueberry plants in summer, according to the herders at the Cairngorms.
• You can meet real reindeer in Britain. The Cairngorm herd in Scotland began in 1952, when Sami reindeer herder Mikel Utsi and his wife, Dr Ethel Lindgren, brought reindeer from Sweden, and today it is Britain’s only free-ranging herd, of around 150 animals. See the Cairngorm Reindeer Centre for visiting details.
• In North America wild reindeer are called caribou. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game even has a tongue-in-cheek species profile for Santa’s reindeer.

Easy reindeer activities for December

• Reindeer name bingo: write the nine names on cards, and tick them off as they come up in stories, songs and films in December.
• Christmas Eve reindeer food: oats in a little bowl or scattered on a tray outside, but skip the glitter, which is harmful to birds and wildlife. A carrot for Rudolph is traditional.
• Name your own reindeer: children invent a tenth reindeer, give it a name that describes its special skill, and draw it.
• Order quiz: read the poem aloud and pause before each name to see who can remember what comes next.

Planning more festive fun? Our easy Elf on the Shelf ideas and best kids’ advent calendars help fill the countdown.

Quick questions about Santa’s reindeer

What are the names of all 9 of Santa’s reindeer?

Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner (or Donder), Blitzen and Rudolph.

Is it Donner or Donder?

Both. The 1823 poem said Dunder, later versions said Donder, and many modern versions, including the Rudolph song, say Donner.

Who is the leader of Santa’s reindeer?

Rudolph leads the sleigh in the famous story and song, guiding the way with his glowing red nose.

Are Santa’s reindeer boys or girls?

The poem does not say. But because male reindeer usually drop their antlers in late autumn and females keep theirs through winter, an antlered team on Christmas Eve is most likely female.

What do reindeer eat?

Mostly lichen, called reindeer moss, plus grasses, sedges, heather and berry plants in summer. A carrot is a Christmas Eve treat.