Portrait of Santeclaus: Arthur Stansbury, The Children’s Friend, 1821
One of the earliest uses in print of a name that was in common use by 1821
The Children’s Friend called the Christmas Eve gift-giver “Santeclaus”, one of the earliest uses in print of a name that was in common use by 1821. The primary difference between “Santeclaus” and the Santa Claus who emerged in the late 1850s was the color of his beard but that was attributable to hand-coloring after the book was printed.