Upon joining the order, Vlad II was granted the surname Dracul (Dragon). His son Vlad III was known as Vlad Draculea, or Dracula, “son of the Dragon.” ...

Our young Vlad again was witness to cruelty and bloodshed. Before he was finally released in 1447, Vlad’s father was overthrown and swamped (Dark Age slang for murdered in the marshes).

Vlad II claimed the moniker as his own, and became known as Vlad Dracul, and therefore ‘Dracula’ translates to ‘son of the devil’, a fitting tribute for the violent Vlad Tepes.

His ruthlessness helped him achieve victory over the Turks in 1462. It was Vlad's father, Vlad II Dracul, ruler of Wallachia, an area south of Transylvania, who gave him the famous Dracula name.

Vlad III was also known as Vlad Dracula, being the illegitimate son of Vlad II Dracul. 'Dracul' translates to 'the Dragon', a title Vlad II earned due to his membership in the Order of the Dragon.

Vlad III was also known as Vlad Dracula as he was the second illegitimate son of Vlad II Dracul. 'Dracul' means 'the Dragon', and Vlad II earned this moniker for his membership of the Order of the ...

Vlad, known as Vlad Dracula, earned his spooky nickname as the son of Vlad II Dracul. While Bram Stoker's Dracula is often linked to Vlad III, historians believe the connection is more about the ...