20 Festive Titles for Santa and Similar Figures Worldwide

Whether he’s arriving in your town, meticulously checking his list, or sharing a cheerful kiss with your mom, that plump, rosy-cheeked gift-giver is likely called Santa Claus by you. However, worldwide, he is recognized under numerous different titles. Here are 20 joyful names for that legendary sleigh rider and other Santa-like characters.

1., 2., and 3. Kris Kringle, Christkind, and Weihnachtsmann

Kris Kringle is mainly a U.S. term for Santa, as stated by the Oxford English Dictionary (OED). In 1919, American journalist H. L. Mencken referred to it as an “example of corrupted German” and traced the term back to Christkindlein—a word that actually means “the baby in the manger,” emphasizing that Kris Kringle is “completely unknown in Germany.”

Christkindlein or Christkind refers to a different holiday gift-bringer in certain German-speaking regions. As per Dictionary.com, Christkind emerged in the 1500s as a Protestant alternative to the Catholic Saint Nicholas. Today, this celestial being is portrayed as “a crowned woman dressed in white and gold, who delivers gifts under the tree on Christmas Eve.” Another Santa-like figure in Germany is Weihnachtsmann, which directly means “Christmas Man.”

4. St. Nicholas

Although St. Nicholas is often equated with Santa Claus, the original Catholic saint was quite different from the cheerful, round-bellied character we recognize today. Born in Greece during the late 3rd century, he served as a bishop in what is now Turkey, earning a reputation as “a passionate, lean, and resolute protector of church teachings,” as reported by National Geographic. Due to his kindness and passions during his lifetime, he was named the patron saint of children, prisoners, and sailors after his passing. By the 1200s, the St. Nicholas Center notes, St. Nicholas’s image had transformed in some regions “from a stern figure to a benevolent friend of children, distributing gifts on St. Nicholas Day,” celebrated on December 6. These perceptions soon spread into broader cultural traditions.

5. Sinterklaas

Dutch settlers are believed to have introduced the concept of a snowy gift-bringer to New York (formerly New Amsterdam) during the colonial era. Sinterklaas is a shortened form of the Dutch name for St. Nicholas (Sint Nikolaas), and as per the OED, “The Dutch tradition of giving gifts to children on [St. Nicholas’s Day] laid the foundation for the Santa Claus phenomenon.”

How did St. Nick transition from a stern, lean figure to a cheerful, rotund one? This transformation was largely due to several 19th-century figures who reshaped Christmas from a raucous, alcohol-fueled celebration into the family-centered holiday we celebrate today. Among them were writers like Washington Irving and Clement Clarke Moore (“A Visit from St. Nicholas,” also known as “‘Twas The Night Before Christmas”) and political cartoonist Thomas Nast, who first illustrated Santa’s merry appearance.

6. Father Christmas

Primarily used in British English, as per the OED, the term Father Christmas originally personified the holiday itself, with its first recorded use dating back to 1646: “Honest Crier, I know thou knewest old Father Christmas.” Today, Father Christmas is often used synonymously with Santa Claus.

7., 8., 9., 10., and 11. Pere Noël, Papa Noël, Babbo Noël, Papai Noël, and Noël Baba

Many countries also adopt the Father Christmas concept. In France and Spain, Santa Claus is known as Père Noël and Papa Noël, respectively. French children might also refer to Santa as Papa Noël, meaning “Daddy Christmas” (and then there’s Zaddy Christmas, but that’s a different tale). In Portuguese, he’s called Papai Noel, in Turkish, Noel Baba, and in Italian, Babbo Natale.

12. La Befana

Long before Babbo Natale became a tradition in Italy, there was an even older figure who delivered gifts. La Befana, a character dating back to the 700s, is portrayed as a grandmotherly witch who flies on a broomstick, “rewarding well-behaved children with treats and mischievous ones with coal,” as stated by Dictionary.com. She completes her duties on Epiphany, January 6, instead of December 25.

13. Belsnickel

Introduced by German immigrants in the 1700s, Belsnickel is a Santa-like figure celebrated in parts of Pennsylvania. A person dressed as Belsnickel might roam around during Christmas or New Year, “playing tricks or asking for small gifts or treats,” according to the OED. In German folklore, he “visits children before Christmas to reward the good with presents and discipline the naughty.”

The origin of the name is thought to stem from both Pennsylvania German and German. One theory suggests it derives from pelz, meaning “fur,” and Nickel, a nickname for Nicholas. Another theory proposes the first part comes from pelzen, which means to strike or thrash.

14. and 15. Julbock and Jultomten

In Scandinavian nations such as Sweden, the julbock, or Yule Goat, was considered a Christmas spirit that would appear “to ensure holiday preparations were carried out properly,” as per the Carnegie Museum of Natural History. Over time, the goat “assumed the role of a gift-bringer and is sometimes depicted alongside or instead of Santa, known as Jultomten.”

Jultomten originally resembled gnomes or brownies, mythical beings believed to safeguard children and animals while assisting with household tasks. However, the figure eventually transformed into a white-bearded man dressed in a white cap. As Phyllis Siefker explains in Santa Claus, Last of the Wild Men, some experts view the figure as “a fusion of the ancient land sprite with the modern Father Christmas and Santa Claus characters.”

However, there are notable distinctions: While Jultomten uses a sleigh, it doesn’t fly—it’s pulled by the Julbock. Jultomten also avoids chimneys, opting to deliver gifts through the front door. Instead of cookies and milk, a buttery porridge called julegrøt is left out as a token of gratitude.

16. and 17. Ded Moroz and Snegurochka

Russia’s winter gift-bringer, Ded Moroz (“Father Ice” or “Grandfather Frost”), resembles the Saruman of Santas. As reported by TIME, he is “slim with a long, wizard-like beard” and “dons a flowing robe that comes in various colors, such as blue and white.” Instead of elves, he is aided by his granddaughter—known as Snegurochka or “Snow Maiden”—and uses three horses instead of eight reindeer to pull his sleigh.

18. Santa Haraboji

In South Korea, Santa Claus is referred to as Santa Haraboji or Grandpa Santa. He typically wears blue or green robes instead of red and occasionally accessorizes with a tall traditional Korean hat known as a gat.

19. and 20. Santa-san and Hotei

While the Western Santa Claus is sometimes called Santa-san in Japan, the country also has its own jolly gift-giver. Hotei or Hoteiosho is a revered Buddhist figure often known as the Laughing Buddha. However, he is not an incarnation of Buddha but may be inspired by a real 10th-century Chinese monk named Budai.

He is frequently portrayed carrying a sack (his name in kanji, one of Japan’s writing systems, translates to “cloth sack”), with a group of joyful children trailing behind him. As per Japan Today, the contents of Hotei’s sack vary across legends: it might contain “anything from simple clothing to a rice plant to the collective sorrows of the world.” Nevertheless, it is believed that Hotei “spread fortune and happiness to all he met, thanks to his magical bag.” Additionally, he is thought to have had eyes on the back of his head, enabling him to see whether you’ve been naughty or nice.