According to Cave Story creator Pixel around the release of Cave Story's Secret Santa in December 2021, the Mimiga named Santa did not get his name because it was related to Christmas or Santa Claus, but because he was the third Mimiga that Pixel designed during the original game's development. The name actually comes from "san" ("三"), the Japanese numeral kanji for three. At the same time however, Pixel acknowledged that some segments in the Bushlands where Quote has to travel through and collect items from fireplaces (including the one in Santa's house) may have subconsciously made him think about Santa Claus, though he did not realize this at the time. Santa would later take on a Santa Claus-like role in Cave Story's Secret Santa.