Santa's Reindeer Names: Meet All Nine

Santa has nine reindeer: Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen and Rudolph. Rudolph, with his glowing red nose, leads the team on foggy Christmas Eves.

Here's a visit to the North Pole reindeer stable, where you can meet each one, learn what their names mean, and pick up a rhyme that helps kids remember them all.

All Nine Reindeer at a Glance

  • Dasher: to dash, or run fast. Known for quick starts and speedy takeoffs.
  • Dancer: someone who dances. Known for light, graceful hooves on snowy rooftops.
  • Prancer: to prance, or step proudly. Known for high steps and showing off a little.
  • Vixen: a clever fox. Known for sharp thinking and finding the best route.
  • Comet: a bright streak across the sky. Known for flying fast and far.
  • Cupid: the spirit of love. Known for being gentle and kind to everyone.
  • Donner: thunder (from the German Donner). Known for a mighty, rumbling gallop.
  • Blitzen: lightning (from the German Blitz). Known for flashing speed through the clouds.
  • Rudolph: his very own name. Known for a glowing red nose that lights the way.

Meet Each Reindeer

Dasher

Dasher is usually the first reindeer harnessed and the first one ready to go. When the sleigh needs a quick start from a snowy roof, Dasher's speed gets it moving.

Dancer

Dancer moves so gently that you'd hardly hear hooves on the roof at all. Light steps matter when every house is full of sleeping children.

Prancer

Prancer lifts each hoof high, as proud as can be. Prancer and Dancer are often harnessed side by side, and together they keep the team stepping in rhythm.

Vixen

A vixen is a clever fox, and Vixen is just as clever. When the wind changes or the clouds pile up, Vixen helps find the smoothest path across the sky.

Comet

A comet is a bright streak of light across the night, and Comet flies just like one: fast, far and steady over the long stretches of ocean.

Cupid

Cupid is the gentle heart of the team, kind to every reindeer and every elf in the stable. Cupid is often the one who comforts a nervous young reindeer before its first flight.

Donner

Donner means "thunder," and that's how Donner's gallop sounds on takeoff. In the oldest version of the famous Christmas poem, Donner was called "Dunder," a Dutch word for thunder.

Blitzen

Blitzen means "lightning," so Donner and Blitzen are "thunder and lightning," a perfect pair. In that same old poem, Blitzen was first called "Blixem."

Rudolph

Rudolph is the most famous reindeer of all. His glowing red nose shines through fog and snow, so on stormy Christmas Eves he leads the sleigh from the very front.

A Rhyme to Remember Them All

Try saying this one together at bedtime:

Dasher and Dancer go first in the line,
Prancer and Vixen are next, looking fine,
Comet and Cupid fly up through the snow,
Donner and Blitzen go thunder and glow,
And Rudolph in front, with his nose shining bright,
Leads all nine reindeer through Christmas Eve night!

Santa's Reindeer in Order

The reindeer are usually listed in the order they're called in the famous Christmas Eve poem, A Visit from St. Nicholas, first shared in 1823 and better known as 'Twas the Night Before Christmas:

  1. Dasher
  2. Dancer
  3. Prancer
  4. Vixen
  5. Comet
  6. Cupid
  7. Donner
  8. Blitzen

Rudolph's story was first shared in 1939, and since then he has led the team from the front, especially when the weather is foggy.

One common way to picture the team is in pairs: Rudolph at the very front, then Dasher and Dancer, Prancer and Vixen, Comet and Cupid, and Donner and Blitzen closest to the sleigh.

Ask Santa about his reindeer

Kids can talk to Santa live and ask which reindeer is the fastest, or how Rudolph's nose glows. Calls start at $1.99.

Talk to Santa

Fun Facts About Reindeer

  • Both boy and girl reindeer grow antlers. Reindeer are the only deer where the girls grow antlers too, and they keep theirs all through the winter.
  • Reindeer have furry noses. Their noses are covered in fur and warm the cold air before they breathe it in.
  • Their hooves change with the seasons. In winter the pads on their hooves firm up, which helps them grip ice and snow (and snowy rooftops).
  • Reindeer make a clicking sound when they walk. A tendon in their feet clicks with each step, which may help the herd stay together in a snowstorm.
  • They can see in very dim light. Reindeer eyes change color with the seasons to help them see in the long, dark Arctic winter.

Questions Kids Ask About the Reindeer

How many reindeer does Santa have? Nine: the eight from the famous poem, plus Rudolph. Some families like to add a reindeer of their own and give it a name.

Which reindeer leads the sleigh? Rudolph leads from the front, especially on foggy nights. Behind him, the other eight fly in pairs.

Which reindeer is the fastest? Dasher, Comet and Blitzen all have speedy names. Ask Santa which one wins the races in the stable!

How do the reindeer fly? The short answer is Christmas magic. For the longer answer from Santa's helpers, visit the Santa FAQ, which also covers how old Santa is and where he lives.

What do reindeer eat? In the stable they munch on lichen, moss and grasses, and on Christmas Eve many families leave out carrots or oats for them.

More Reindeer Fun