The names Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner and Blitzen originated from the Childrens story "It was the night before Christmas" by Clement Moore Rudolf came later from the song "Rudolf the red nosed reindeer", sung by Dean Martin e.o. Fireball was created by the writers of "Rudolf" for an action animation special in 1967. Olive, the female Reindeer, is the creation of author J. Otto Seibold

The first record of santa's reindeer having any names is from "A Visit from Saint Nicholas", an anonymously submitted poem in the December 23, 1823 edition of Troy Sentinel newspaper, New York. The poem was widely spread and very popular, you know it today as "The Night Before Christmas". Eventually, the anonymous poem was attributed to a professor of New York's General Theological Seminary, a professor by the name of Clement Clarke Moore. While Moore is now generally accepted as it's author, much debate has arrisen over who the real author is, with many accrediting Henry Livingston, a New Yorker of Dutch decent. Donald W. Foster, a text analyst expert, is the current voice for Livingstons defense, as written in his book* An original excerpt from the poem would name Santas reindeer: "Now! Dasher, now! Dancer, now! Prancer, and Vixen, On! Comet, on! Cupid, on! Dunder and Blixem; Dunder and Blixem? Sure, it's not Donner and Blitzen, it's a Dutch expression (literally "thunder and lightning") meaning "hurry, faster". So santa wasn't calling out eight reindeer, he was telling his six to get their rear in gear. :) Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, and Cupid were Santa's original six reindeer. Now comes 1837, a publisher by the name of Charles Fenno Hoffman reproduces "A Visit from Saint Nicholas" and alters this to read "Donder and Blixen" for the sake of making it better rhyme and making it easier to pronounce in English. The final change came in 1844 when Clement Moore, who was familier with German, but not Dutch, changed it to "Donner and Blitzen" (which is german for "thunder and lightning") and giving birth to the final two reindeer. Finally, there comes Rudolph. Rudolph was the creation of Robert L. May, in a 1938 promotional booklet, for use in their Montgomery Ward department stores. He penned a story of an underdog reindeer, taunted for a his abnormal nose, which glows bright red. Original name ideas, Rollo and Reginald, were rejected for being too chearful and too British, respectively. Originally dubious (with "red nose" being a referance to a drunkard), his department store is finally convinced when they see the animations of the lovable character. Mongomery Ward begins giving away the lyrical booklets for their christmas promotion to roaring success Over the course of the next 9 years, Mongomary Ward would distribute over 6 million copies of the story. Come 1947, May pleads with Mongomary Ward's coperate president Sewell Avery for distribution rights to his story, to help pay the debt dug by his wife's terminal illness. Thus begins the commercial distribution of "Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer" across America. It even makes it's way to theatres as a 9 minute animation. Rudolph, however, has only seen his first taste of stardom, before May's brother-in-law Johnny Marks pens a song for the misfit reindeer. Originally recorded in 1949 by Gene Audrey, the song is a smashing succress, overshadowing the success of it's literary companion. This song is soon to be known by just about everyone in the country, and finally solidified the names of Santas, now nine, reindeer as: Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen... and Rudolph How the reindeer were named is, as you can see, a long story, but the final answer is that most of us learnt the reindeer from "Rudolph the red nose Reindeer", performed by Gene Audrey, Written by Johnny Marks, adapted from a book by Robert Mays, based on a story by Clement Moore revised on a poem by Henry Livingston, based on a legend of Santa Clause. Thanks greatly to Snopes.com for information! Origin of Donner and Blitzen: http://www.snopes.com/holidays/christmas/donner.asp Origin of Rudolph: http://www.snopes.com/holidays/christmas/rudolph.asp *Donald Foster's book covering the original author of "A Night before Christmas": http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN%3D0805068120/ref%3DurbanlegendsrefeA/102-8645267-2240110

Although the poem is often referred to as "Twas the Night Before Chirstmas" from it's opening line. Its proper title - the one given by it's creator, Clement Moore - is "A Visit from Saint Nick".

"You know Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner and Blitzen but do you recall the most famous reindeer of all? Ruldolph the red nosed reindeer...." Part of the song. That is the only way I remeber the names for when my 4 year old wants to write to Santa.