A List of Santa's Reindeer Names and Their Personalities Including Olive, the 10th Reindeer

There are Santa’s reindeer and then there are Santa’s reindeer. All of them with different names pulling the sleigh – what are those reindeer like? Are they mischievous? Are they funny?

Clement C. Moore used secretive means to reveal the names of eight reindeer in his poem “Twas the Night Before Christmas”. But once the world found out, people began to make songs about them and Santa started using their names every time he took off in the sled.

But, what do people really know about the reindeer? They have funny names and there is a lot of talk about the eight famous reindeer (there’s even a ninth and a tenth - the other reindeer!) during the holiday season. But, during their time off, what do they do?

Well, there’s Dasher. He’s one of the fastest reindeer in Santa’s herd. He’s always ready to dash out the door. For that reason, he excels at track and field during the off-season. So, after his yearly tenure at the North Pole, he might find himself at a high school track and field meet, trying to run the 800-yard dash. You can bet he’s usually the first to finish. “Dasher” originally came from a German name, Dascher, meaning purse-maker. Whoa! He can sew! One has to wonder if he is the Father of the Modern Hand Bag.

Dancer is a reindeer with a unique personality. He’s completely extroverted. When he’s not helping Santa, he’s having dance parties. His favorite genre is Latin music due to the strong rhythm. He would be happy to dance with Enrique Iglesias. Since dancing is his passion, he knows the tango, salsa, meringue, and even has ventured into contra- and square-dancing. Do-si-do-ing can be a little difficult, but he likes it. Plus, you’ll never find him without a bell around his neck as he never hesitates to indulge in pomp and circumstance.

Prancer loves the other reindeer and would do anything for them. But, he also loves to carry a mirror to regard himself on the sleigh every now and then. He has to look his best all the time because he never knows quite who he’s going to meet. Mrs. Clause made him a special reindeer-harness that is red and green with extra attachments for his mirror, comb and brush. He often is found in the elves’ factory prancing around gracefully with all the other reindeer, elves and helpers cheering him on.

Vixen is the comedic reindeer known for lots of magic tricks. The other reindeer often get slightly annoyed with his ability to make things disappear and reappear. He’s great at tricking the other reindeer out of their candy canes. He also has a weakness for yummy Santa-shaped chocolates. Santa, however, happily tolerates Vixen’s tricks because they really come in handy on Christmas Eve. That bag of toys is only so big….

Comet is out of this world – as his name implies. He’s quite handsome and always has a smile. He’s easy-going and loves to play ball with all the young fawns. All the children of the world seem to look up to him. Santa, of course, loves this about Comet. In the days before Christmas, Santa will head out with Comet to check his list and see how the children all around the world are doing. When they see Comet, they flock to pet him because he’s quite adorable and so laid-back. He just loves the attention the children shower upon him.

Cupid is an affectionate reindeer. She has Christmas reins decorated with red and green little hearts. Her motto is “Spread the Love”. She often carries mistletoes and mysteriously places them all around peoples’ entryways at Christmastime. That way, people don’t forget to hug and kiss during the season. She’s always singing, too. The other reindeer roll their eyes when she begins singing “Joy to the World” for the thousandth time. She also makes appearances on Valentine’s day, showering people with red hearts.

Donner’s name comes from “thunder” in German. This is for good reason. He’s always noticed when entering a room because he’s got a deep booming baritone voice. He loves to sing using that melodious voice. His joyous renditions of “Santa Baby”, “Santa Claus is Coming to Town”, and “Here Comes Santa Claus” always receive high marks and rowdy applause from his fellow reindeer. He loves hanging out with Blitzen, too.

Blitzen’s name comes from the German word for “lightning”. He’s fast, playful, and like a bolt when it comes to helping Santa deliver his Christmas goodies. When Santa yells “faster!", Blitzen has the ability to infuse an electric charge to the other reindeer to make them zap through the sky, fast as lightning. He’s also best reindeer-buds with Donner.

Rudolph is Santa’s famous ninth reindeer. He joined the herd a few years after the original eight. At first, he was terribly self-conscious. He suffered from low self-esteem because he had an odd red nose. It wasn’t until Santa recognized his rosy bulb that he was ushered into his role as leader of the herd. Because his nose glowed, he was able to lead Santa safely around the world, no matter the weather. Now, when Rudolph isn’t helping on the sleigh ride, he loves to play Hide and Seek with the other reindeer. He has the advantage, though. He can light up dark places effortlessly and find the other reindeer every time.

Olive is the tenth reindeer to join Santa’s herd. She had a precarious start. You may recall the line from Rudolph’s song, “…all of the other reindeer used to laugh and call him names…” Many people heard, “Olive, the other reindeer…” Well, it’s true. Olive is the other reindeer. She did, in fact, laugh at Rudolph with his big red nose, but it was only because she thought Rudolph was an amazing asset to Santa’s team, and she really wanted to be a part of it. So, she started out by mocking Rudolph but then later realized that wasn’t becoming for a reindeer. So, she shyly apologized to Rudolph and they have been best friends ever since. She loves to play hide and seek, too, and is especially good at finding the Abominable Snowman.

All this talk of reindeer personalities is really fun! These websites allow for the games to go on. Click here and click there, see a reindeer if you dare.

Do you like to make crafts? If you need a project to complete with your child while she or he is on winter break, click over to reindeer crafts for kids.

If you want to know more about Rudolph's history, this fabulous hub on Rudolph is the place to go!

Still, you can make some reindeer ornaments and learn more about Rudolph.

There are some awesome facts about reindeer and other trivia information.

Did you ever want to know how to make reindeer poop? Yeah, well, admit it. You're curious!

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