Vlad Dracula was born in Sighisoara, Romania in about November or December of 1431, thought this year has never been confirmed. His birth name was Vlad Tepes, and was the second of three sons. His father, also Vlad was appointed vovoide which was the military governor of Transylvania by the time of Vlad's birth (McNally 25). Vlad Dracula is most famous for his cruel and gruesome tactics of torture and execution which is how he earned the name 'Vlad the Impaler'.
Vlad got the name Dracula from his father, the name Dracula means 'son of the dragon'. Around age eleven Vlad and his brother were taken hostage by Sultan Murad II to insure peace between Romanian boyars and the Turks. During his years of captivity Vlad and his brother were tutored in science and the arts, Vlad also became and skilled horseman and warrior during this time. He was also tortured during this time and this is when he would have witnessed the impalement of his Ottoman enemies. Vlad's family didn't have it as easy as Vlad, his father was killed by the local boyars in the swamps in 1447 and his older brother was tortured, blinded and then buried alive. By age seventeen he was able to gain control of Wallachia yet only two months later he was defeated by the very same man who had killed his father. He then began plotting his revenge then eight years later he killed Vladislav II, in one-on-one combat in which Vlad personally beheaded him and took back his throne.
The next six years are unclear but this is when he gets the name Vlad the .
impaler. This was never a name that he used himself, but one that he earned by his brutal killing tactics. He was seeking revenge against the boyars that tortured and killed his brother. To do this he invited the families of everyone who was involved to and Easter Feast, once they are all inside he had his troops surround them all and had them march. He then made them march fifty miles to the future site of his new fortress, the survivors of this march were then forced to build his castle in Poenari, and survivors of this were then impaled by Vlad.