Dracula

Texan99 wondered about the "ul" in Dracula, in response to my Buna Dimineata post.

Vlad Dracul was the father, Vlad The Dragon.  He was initiated into the German Order of the Dragon, and took the name.  His son was Vlad Tepes, later called the Impaler. He was called called Dracul-a meaning "little Dracul."

They were Vlad II and Vlad III.  They are not evil characters in Romanian history, but heroes.  Vlad III was sent to Turkey as a hostage to the Ottomans by his father, in exchange for getting his kingdom back.  There VladIII learned the impressive warfare of intimidation by slaughter and public impalings common to that area.  When he ascended the throne of Wallachia, he used that technique on the invading Ottomans, and it worked.  Kept them at bay, at least somewhat.

Europeans were horrified, but it was just average warfare in Turkey, or semi-brutal in the Balkans.  Romanians couldn't get why the West thought he was so evil, but once they discovered there was tourist money to be made with it, they shrugged and went along.