donner

Donner is a surname of German origin meaning thunder. It is also used as a given name and appears in place names in the United States.

The Donner Party was a group of American pioneers who became trapped by heavy snow in the Sierra Nevada during the winter of 1846–47 while emigrating to California. Led by George Donner and James Reed, they faced severe conditions after taking an ill-fated route. Several members died, and some survivors resorted to cannibalism before rescue parties reached them in the spring of 1847. The disaster left a lasting legacy in American history and prompted changes in westward migration safety.

Donner Pass is a high mountain pass in the Sierra Nevada on the routes that connect California's Central Valley to the Nevada settlements; the area is served by U.S. Route 40 and a major rail line. Nearby Donner Lake and Donner Memorial State Park commemorate the party, with a museum and a statue by the sculptor Alexander Phimister Proctor.

In modern Christmas tradition, Donner is one of Santa Claus's eight reindeer, along with Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, and Blitzen; Rudolph was added in a later addition to the story. The name preserves the meaning thunder, derived from the German word.