Why Are Reindeer Called ‘Reindeer’, How Did They Get Their Name?

Reindeer, Rangifer tarandus, are familiar hoofed animals that live in cold climates toward the North Pole. In many societies, children learn about reindeer from a very early age. This holds true even if they have never seen one in real life, because of their association with Santa Claus. People call reindeer by very similar names in several different languages. And their name has been essentially the same since ancient times. So, why are reindeer called “reindeer” and how did they get their name?

Origins of the Word “Reindeer”

You might assume that the name reindeer came from the words rein and deer, especially if looking at familiar pictures of reindeer hitched up to Santa’s sleigh on Christmas Eve. Although that assumption makes sense, the name did not originate in this way. In fact, the etymology of the word reindeer has nothing at all to do with reins.

According to linguists, reindeer actually came from the Old Norse word, hreindyri. This breaks down to two roots: hreinn, which means ‘reindeer’ and dyri, which means ‘animal’.

Modern Variations of Reindeer

One can find several variants of the name reindeer in modern languages, particularly the Germanic languages. In Norwegian, people call this species “reinsdyr”, while folks use the word “rensdyr” to describe the same animal in Danish. In Spanish, they say “reno” and in French they say “renne”. Meanwhile, in both German and Swedish, they use the word “ren”, and in Icelandic, they say “hreinn”.

Where Do Reindeer Live?

Reindeer live in the cold, northern parts of the world, including Alaska and the far northern part of Washington, Canada, Russia, Mongolia, parts of the Netherlands, Iceland, and parts of Greenland. They live mainly in forests and grasslands between the 50th parallel north to the 81st parallel. Their range extends well inside the Arctic Circle, but not quite as far north as the North Pole.

Species that live mostly in the boreal forests have different qualities than those that live mostly in open areas. Their antlers have different shapes and sizes based on their habitat. Even their mating habits differ based on where they live.

Reindeer or Caribou, What’s in a Name?

Can you tell the difference between a reindeer and a caribou? If not, please do not feel bad. Reindeer and caribou are essentially the same animals with a different name. All reindeer and caribou species currently fall under the same species, Rangifer tarandus, and in one of more than a dozen different subspecies. The subspecies native to North America are called caribou, while those in Europe and Asia are reindeer.

Biologists have spent a lot of time over the past century or more, trying to determine which animals belong to which subspecies, and whether any of the subspecies should be recategorized as a species. Recent proposals, based on genetic studies, suggest regrouping the single existing species into at least six different full species, with subspecies placed under those designations. But for now, scientists list all known reindeer and caribou as subspecies of Rangifer tarandus.