Traditional Names of The First Christmas Elves

Santa's Sleigh and Reindeer

Who were Santa’s first elves? How did they make the magic come alive?

In the past few years Christmas Elves have become increasingly popular and as the Christmas Elf tradition has spread throughout the world, Santa’s Elves have invaded our homes and even featured in films. But who were the original elves? After a little cajoling, Elfin our resident Christmas Elf told me about Santa’s very first elves…

Traditional Christmas Elves names and roles

Most businesses start small and Santa’s magical workshop is no exception. It is said that Santa initially employed just six elves.

The elves are intelligent and highly skilled. They help Santa to design and make toys and deal with the millions of requests children send Santa every year. Without the Elves, Santa Claus and Mrs Claus will not have been able to make their Christmas dream reality. Hundreds of years later the original elves still work with Santa at the North Pole. They make the magic of Christmas come alive every year for children around the world.

Here are the names of Santa’s original Christmas elves:

Alabaster Snowball

Alabaster is quite a character. Although all elves are highly intelligent, he’s the only elf at the North Pole with two university degrees. From Cambridge that is.  Friendly and good hearted, he is entrusted with one of the most important jobs. He is the Administrator of the “Naughty or Nice List”, so you definitely want to be on his side.

He has developed an elaborate computer system that updates each child’s Naughty or Nice rating five times a minute, all year around.

Thanks to Alabaster, Santa has the latest updates on everyone and can adjust the toy production and deliveries right to the last minute. You better be good for goodness sake!

Bushy Evergreen

A skilled engineer and the inventor of Santa’s magic toy-making machine. Bushy came from a family that lived in the forest way up North. Like most forest creatures, Bushy became skilled in the art of woodcarving at an early age.

By the time he was a boy of 103, he had carved millions of wooden trains, cars, dinosaurs and other toys. Bushy is now the head Toy Maker for Santa and keeps on developing his famous toy making machine to meet children’s endless demand for new toys.

Pepper Minstix

Pepper is the protector of Santa’s magic world, and has worked his way up to being Head of Elf Security. He is entrusted with the important job of watching out for the well-being and safety of Santa Claus and Mrs Claus.

He is also in charge of guarding the secret location of Santa’s Village and magic workshop. Billions of children, not to mention adults, would love know where it is, so he has his work cut out.

Pepper likes to model his outfits after that of the military and patrols around the Village  with a chest full of Elf Medals and a makeshift armour made of kitchen pots and pans. He owns a one-of-a-kind bubble gum firing machine gun and no-one would dare mess with him.

Shinny Upatree

Shinny is the oldest resident of the North Pole Village – even older than Santa. He’s no taller than a four year old, skinny and as wrinkled as an old apple. Under his rugged appearance and cranky manners, he has a good heart and is totally devoted to Santa.

Shinny is the leader of the all the Elves and Santa’s oldest and most trusted friend. In fact, he co-founded the Magic Workshop with him! Everyone puts up with his moodiness because without the old Shinny Upatree, there wouldn’t be a Village, Workshop, Christmas and maybe not even  Santa.

Sugarplum Mary

Mary is said to originate from a far away Asian province. She is tiny with dark hair and skin and awfully pretty.

Head of sweet treats, Mary is the most marvellous of cooks and is the top assistant to Mrs. Claus in the kitchen. Our Christmas Elf, Elfin adores her and learned most of his recipes from her.If Santa has ever brought you chocolates and other sweet treats Sugarplum Mary will be behind the original recipe.

She also teaches Kung Fu to the young elves every Friday afternoon.

Wunorse Openslae

One of the few old native Nordic Elves, Wunorse is in his middle years, around 600 years old. Akin to his Viking ancestors he is tall and strong with long blonde hair that he wears in thick braids. He wears dozens of tiny jingle bells sewn onto his clothes, so the enchanting sound of magic Christmas bells follows him everywhere.

In charge of the reindeer, Wunorse is also a true inventor and craftsman, and he always carries with him a pencil and notepad  for doodling, sketching and dreaming up new inventions. It was him who long ago created Santa’s magic sleigh.

About Elfin (38 Articles)
Hi, I'm Elfin - Santa's chief Elf. Santa's wants me to tell you all about my Elf friends and the Christmas Elf Tradition. If you have any questions, just ask! I would love to hear from you and find out what your elves have been up to - so please leave your comments. Happy Elfing :)

61 Comments on Traditional Names of The First Christmas Elves

  1. Hi, this is a great story about elves… I used all this information on my Christmas project and I got an A!! Thank you so much…

    *Please reply on my comment bar, for my email has been troubled… 🙂

  2. Don’t forget about Buzzlewitz…he’s the elf who collects children’s Christmas lists and delivers them to Santa. Leave your list out on 11/11 at 11 pm and don’t forget to leave a cookie for him…snickerdoodles are his favorite. He will leave a mint and an acorn in return.

  3. Isabella catalano // November 26, 2013 at 06:13 // Reply

    Do you Santa know an elf named Missy? But she is not an elf on the shelf.

  4. Braden has not done much .But I gave him a present.

  5. Hi elf I just want to know your guys name because I need to get it and I want you to tell santa that what I want for christmas is that ok with you guys. And I will tell you now. I want an mini ipad for christmas this year because I don”t one everyone else did.

  6. Hi, can you help me please, I need a elv name for my two kids

  7. Hello Santa this is katelyn sweeby I am the one who
    Saw you on your sleigh going down the road with my mum
    Holding the baby and I want to tell you that I want a Santa clause
    Dress and a skirt.

  8. Calling santa and elves.
    I am in need of an elf!!
    I am struggling getting my presents and decorating the house.

  9. I love christmas I am 7

  10. I love my elf on the shelf

  11. Gianmarco Gerbino // November 13, 2017 at 20:34 // Reply

    Hello do you think you know my elf on the shelfs name last Christmas if you do pls tell me

  12. Santa can you give Me elf on the shelf

  13. My favorite names for our Elf are Evergreen, Snowball (although it reminds me of a name you would give a cat!) Snowflake is a little bit better,pinecone and mistletoe. The problem is my son doesn’t like any of them and we can’t agree on one. Elffie is gonna end up with no name again this year!

  14. We need girl elf’s!

  15. i think your elfs are cute

  16. I love Christmas and I’m 64

  17. hey elfin i wonder if you could say hi to my elf on the shelf sugar cookie.

  18. Hi santa my name is lola morgan I’m 8yrs old love you and christmas one day i hope to visit you in the north pole best wishes lola xxx

    • I love Christmas too. Looking forward to your visit someday! xx

      • Dear Santa and elve’s, I hope your doing well despite all the sickness going around the world. This year I’m leaving extra mints and cookies out for you to help you stay healthy and full of energy. Can you ask Santa if I can have an starlight doll this year? Love harmony

        • Hello Harmony – what a beautiful name! We will definitely appreciate those extra mints. I wonder what the reindeer will think of them! I’ll pass on your request to Santa about the Starlight Doll and hopefully he’ll find one for you. Love from Elfin x

  19. the reason why I want to be Santa Claus elf because I love that help people that love Christmas cuz Christmas is one of my best things to do on Earth and when I was a little kid ice I want to be an elf help Santa Claus with the toys

  20. Hi santa its me addy im the who saw rudolphs nose when i was 3 years old i just wanted to say i wanted to say that i want a pink kidicom for xmas!

  21. Hi elf, my girl elf eat my mum’s cookies. Her name is Roxy. I can’t wait for Christmas. I am Lily and age 7.

  22. We named our elf Mr
    Bowjangle. And his nickname is Ty. We love him along w his sister Sparkles and our pet reindeer whose name is Buddy and lastly his brothers name is Alfie. I have 1 at my moms, 1 at my daddys and another w the pet reindeer Buddy at my grandma and pops house. I love them all bc they do such funny things!
    *

  23. Hi Santa!!!
    All I want in this Christmas is to have a laptop and a printer for my studies..Thanks

  24. I am currently writing a christmas themed book and need elf names. Can I use these or are they copyrighted to anybody? Much thanks.

  25. is rosie a good name for an elf

  26. I have an elf and her name is angelcakes

  27. Dear Elfin,
    I just wrote a Christmas story for my sons titled Saint Tech-Nic(k)-ally. It actually is a good little Christmas story. I keyed in elf names and came to your posting. In the story I used your elf names. I am hoping you will give me permission to use them, beyond Christmas morning, to perhaps pursue publishing. I think it would be neat for kids to actually google the names and find your source. I could make up different names, but part of the magic is for kids and adults to look up these elf characters. I noticed above that permission was granted to another writer. I hope I can have the same, as I love how you have described them. Christmas 2019

  28. Dear Elfin,
    It is, I feel, to clarify I like your elf names. I tried to fit the names that best suited my story line. I solely based them on your descriptions and whether they fit the elf part I was portraying in my storyline.

    Thank You For Your Consideration,
    Cheri Lemley

    Sincerely,
    Cheri Lemley

  29. Elfin where are the rest of the girl elves.

    • Hmmm, where indeed have those girl elves gone? I’ll flush them out of their hiding places and update my list! 🙂

  30. Hi Elfin!! My 2 sisters and I have been good this year. I am the oldest. Iam 10. My sisters are 9 and 7. We love Santa!! Our elf on the self name is Eve. I will leave you our mommys email. She says we are not old enough to have one yet.

  31. Hi Elfin!
    You are Santa’s elf aren’t you? Well Santa knows everyone’s name. What’s my name? (I wrote a fake name so don’t even try.)

  32. Understudy to the Assistant Secretary of Father Christmas // January 26, 2021 at 20:47 // Reply

    The linguistic evidence suggests that there should have been at one time, back in the day, exactly eleven elves. Of course, many more have been added since then, but do we have any traditions that speak of the original eleven elves of Santa?

  33. Guadalupe Rodriguez // October 25, 2021 at 19:46 // Reply

    Hi Santa my name is Guadalupe Rodriguez and I wanted to ask that for Christmas I would like you to give my kids a lot close and game to play with and lego and apples computer and me some close and my husband some close to and I don’t know if I dream and I have a feel that I we’ll have baby and I would like to have another baby boy on my arms if god we’ll give me another chance to have one and I we’ll even like to have a new car cause the one that I have it messing up that is the only thing that want and a house for me and my husband and my kids there two. girls and one boy I wish you can read my message Santa’s.

  34. hi, who is the elf that is never on the shelf and always up to mischief

  35. My elf’s name was Frankie

  36. I have a lot of elves I have 6 baby elves do one of you have Santa’s phone number because I’m mad at him he wouldn’t get me a dog for Christmas
    Oliver dad
    Olivia mom
    Boys Oscar Owen Opie
    Girls Oakley opal ophelia
    Dog st Barnard elf pet scout

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