Depending on when you grew up, the pop culture characters revolving around the Christmas holiday may differ. When you think of the winter holiday season, do you think of Scrooge, Frosty the Snowman, Jack Frost, Charlie Brown, Rudolph, and Baby New Year? If not, your mind might jump to The Grinch, Elsa, Jack Skellington, Buddy the Elf, or Kevin McCallister.
The names of the 10 reindeers are Blitzen, Comet, Cupid, Dancer, Dasher, Donner, Prancer, Vixen, Rudolph and a tenth reindeer that that can be either Clyde, Arrow or Clarice. The names of the 10 reindeers differ depending on who you ask. You are most likely familiar with the traditional lore, which tells of eight reindeer who pulled Santa’s sleigh. Then Rudolph joins the team, making it nine. A lesser-known reindeer may be number ten.
In this article, we’ll look at the traditional and non-traditional lore based on fictional writing dating back to 1823. We will also explore which of the lesser-known reindeer might be the modern-day tenth reindeer. This endeavor will be both interesting and fun.
What Are the Names of the 8 Original Reindeer Who Pulled Santa’s Sleigh?
Clement C. Moore’s 1823 poem, titled “Twas the Night Before Christmas” (Originally known as “A Visit From St. Nicholas”), named the original eight reindeer who pulled Santa’s sleigh on Christmas Eve. Later on, two of the German reindeer names were changed when publishers reprinted this famous poem.
You can find a modern-day version of this famous poem in The Night Before Christmas Heirloom Edition
(<– click link to see price, Amazon affiliate link). This beautifully illustrated hardcover book comes with an audio CD to listen to American actor Jeff Bridges’ narration. This book is rated an impressive 4.8 out of 5 possible stars based on 4,111 customer feedbacks. Many children cherish the tradition of reading a version of this book every Christmas Eve.
Names of Santa’s Reindeer in Alphabetical Order
You may have the names of these eight reindeer ingrained in your memory, but there may be more to learn about these Christmas icons. Some of them may be more intriguing than you’d expect. Here is a list of the names of the 8 Original Reindeers:
- Blitzen – The German to English translation of the word ‘Blitzen’ is ‘flash,’ like a flash of lighting. The Dutch version of this name was ‘Blixem.’ We’ll touch on more interesting facts about the duo, Donner and Blitzen, and their namesakes a little later.
- Comet – In real life, a comet is a cosmic snowball that orbits the sun. In Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer’s tale, Comet is a member of Santa’s sleigh team, but he has another job. He also coaches the other reindeer, prepping them for the reindeer games competition.
- Cupid – Named after the well-known mythological creature, Cupid is the brother of Blitzen, Comet, and Dasher. He is also the uncle of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Cupid was outwardly unaccepting of his nephew and viewed him as an outcast.
- Dancer – Aside from being a member of Santa’s sleigh team, Dancer does not have a significant lore role. You do not see him interacting with the other reindeer, and he is not one of the lead reindeer. Instead, his place was towards the back of the team that pulled Santa’s sleigh on Christmas Eve.
- Dasher – Also one of Rudolph’s uncles, Dasher is well-known for being the fastest reindeer on Santa’s sleigh team. Despite being the swiftest, he is also positioned at the unit’s rear when pulling Santa’s sleigh on Christmas Eve. He joined in with the others, who viewed Rudolph as an outcast because of his glowing red nose.
- Donner – Donner was initially known as ‘Donder’ in Clement C. Moore’s original poem. The German to English translation of ‘donder’ is ‘thunder.’ Donner is the former lead reindeer and is Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer’s father.
- Prancer – Like his sleigh teammate with a rhyming name, Dancer, Prancer is a minor character in the Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer lore. He must have earned his place on the team because he wears a Medal of Valor like the rest. Prancer is just one of the three sleigh team members to be married.
- Vixen – Vixen is the youngest member of Santa’s sleigh team. You may not have known it, but Vixen is the only female on the team. It would not be easy to tell because all the female reindeer in the story are without antlers, except for her.
Because Donner and Blitzen have such noteworthy names (Thunder and Lightning), there are fun facts about their namesakes. For example, Donner and Blitzen name a pair of henchmen from the DC Animated Universe under The Joker’s employment. Another famous Donner and Blitzen is a river in eastern Oregon. German soldiers named this river when crossing it during a thunderstorm.
Some think this famous duo should have their own Christmas song written about them. Although this does not fall under traditional holiday music, a musician has written a spirited song about these two Santa’s reindeer. If you haven’t rocked out to the tune ‘Donner and Blitzen’ by Rob Halford, you can do so now:
Who Were the Original 10 Reindeer?
Clement C. Moore published his poem with eight reindeer in 1823. L. Frank Baum published his story in 1902 with ten reindeer. You can read about them in his book “The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus,” (<–click to see price, Amazon affiliate link) where Baum describes reindeer Flossie and Glossie as Santa’s top reindeer. The other eight reindeer also had rhyming names. They were Racer and Pacer, Fearless and Peerless, Ready and Steady, Feckless and Speckless.
How Did Rudolph Become the 9th Reindeer?
Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer, son of Donner, was the youngest member of Santa’s sleigh team. He faced many obstacles and had to persevere to earn his place on the team. Although the other reindeer ridiculed him for his glowing red nose, he ultimately saved Christmas by guiding Santa’s sleigh through a storm that caused limited visibility on Christmas Eve. Rudolph’s was a heartwarming and inspirational story that gave others who were different hope.
Names of Lesser-Known Reindeer
If Rudolph is the ninth reindeer, then who is the tenth? This query is a question nobody has been able to answer firmly. Let’s review the candidates to help you form your own opinion about which reindeer deserves to be the tenth:
- Clarice is Rudolph’s girlfriend. She befriended him while the other reindeer, both young and adult, treated Rudolph as an outcast because of his glowing red nose. She even protested after her father scolded her for doing so.
- Arrow is the son of Cupid. Although he was Rudolph’s cousin, Arrow was also Rudolph’s rival. By default, he won the Reindeer Games after he caused the judges to disqualify Rudolph because of his red nose.
- Fireball is a fellow-competitor in the Reindeer Games. He befriends Rudolph when they first met. He also encouraged Rudolph to overcome his shyness and to approach Clarice. Rudolph was lucky to have a friend like him and eventually walked over and spoke to Clarice.
- Zoey is a character that appears in a later movie. The writers portrayed her as Rudolph’s best friend. Then, later on, she becomes Rudolph’s main love interest and eventually his girlfriend. Zoey is much less well-known than Clarice.
- Clyde is a Clydesdale reindeer. He is a character in a coloring book unrelated to Rudolph’s lore authored by Robert W. Blake. It is titled “Clyde, The Clydesdale Reindeer: Coloring Book.” (<–Click to see price, Amazon affiliate link). A Clydesdale is a majestic breed of horse that originated in Scotland. There is no information about how this coloring book character came about.
Final Thoughts About the Tenth Reindeer
The tenth reindeer in the Rudolph the Rednosed Reindeer lore has yet to be determined. If you had to make a prediction, you might lean towards Arrow or Fireball. These lesser-known reindeer were competing in the Reindeer Games and could be candidates to replace a current sleigh team member someday.