who created santa claus

Nobody “created” Santa Claus in a single moment; the modern Santa is a blend of a real saint, old folklore, and later artists and advertisers who shaped his look and story over time.

From Saint Nicholas to Santa

• The core inspiration is Saint Nicholas , a 4th‑century Christian bishop from Myra (in modern‑day Turkey), famous for generosity and secret gift‑giving, especially to children.

• His legends spread across Europe and, in Dutch tradition, became Sinterklaas , a gift‑bringer celebrated in early December.

How the name “Santa Claus” appeared

• Dutch settlers brought the Sinterklaas tradition to New Amsterdam (now New York), where the name gradually shifted into “Santa Claus” in English.

• By the late 18th and early 19th century, New York writers were already describing a Santa‑like figure visiting homes and leaving presents.

The poem that locked in his character

• The 1823 poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas” (better known as “’Twas the Night Before Christmas”) gave Santa many of his modern traits : a plump, jolly, magical night visitor in a sleigh pulled by reindeer, entering by the chimney.

• This poem is usually credited to Clement Clarke Moore, though some argue Henry Livingston Jr. wrote it, showing that even Santa’s literary “creator” is debated.

The artists who drew “our” Santa

• In the late 1800s, illustrator Thomas Nast drew a round, bearded Santa for Harper’s Weekly, adding details like the North Pole workshop and lists of good and bad children.

• Printer Louis Prang popularized Christmas cards in the 1870s and helped cement Santa in a red outfit on printed cards, spreading a consistent visual style.

Coca‑Cola and the final look

• In the 1930s, Coca‑Cola commissions by artist Haddon Sundblom portrayed Santa as a warm, human‑sized, red‑suited, rosy‑cheeked grandfather figure, which heavily influenced the global image people now recognize.

• Coca‑Cola did not invent Santa, but those ads standardized and spread his familiar modern look worldwide in the 20th century.

TL;DR:
Santa Claus grew gradually from Saint Nicholas and European gift‑giver traditions, was shaped in story by 19th‑century writers, drawn into a jolly red‑suited figure by artists like Thomas Nast, and globally “finished” in look by 20th‑century Coca‑Cola advertising.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.