How did the author of "Twas the Night before Christmas" come up with the names of Santa's reindeer?

Question

Is there any particular significance or hidden meanings to the names?

Answer 1

The names of the original eight reindeer were actually taken from the 1823 poem A Visit from St. Nicholas, commonly known as "The Night Before Christmas." Prior to the poem, American ideas about St. Nicholas and other Christmastide visitors varied considerably.

The poem was first published anonymously in the Troy, New York Sentinel on December 23, 1823, and was reprinted frequently thereafter with no name attached. Authorship was later attributed to Clement Clarke Moore and the poem was included in an anthology of his works, but his connection with the verses has been questioned by some. Moore's wife is of Dutch descent, being a descendant of the Van Cortlandt family via her mother. She shares bloodlines with Henry Livingston Jr. and Clement Clarke Moore's family is married into the Livingston family as well. Henry Livingston, a New Yorker with Dutch and Scottish roots, is the chief candidate for authorship if Moore did not write it.

Having said that...we may never know how the author of "Twas the Night before Christmas" come up with the names of Santa's reindeer. But at the links below, you will find some interesting facts:

Answer 2

All of the reindeer were given names that describe speed or light-footedness , i.e., Dasher and Dancer.

Answer 3

Is he the one whom gave them deers their names? Dag just go to show how much I know!!

Answer 4

Good question, never gave it much thought.