Contrary to what many believe, Santa Claus as we know him today was not the creation of the Coca Cola Company. The name Santa Claus has his roots in the informal Dutch name for St. Nicholas, Sinterklaas (an abbreviation of Sint Nikolaas).
St. Nicholas was a historic 4th-century Greek saint (from an area now in modern day Turkey) who had a reputation for secret gift-giving, such as putting coins in the shoes left out for him. Although the east coast of America was full of Dutch settlers, it was not until the early 19th century that the figure of 'Sinterklaas' would make his way properly across the Atlantic and so give birth to the Americanised Santa Claus.
(via Neatorama)
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