where did dracula come from

Dracula, the fictional vampire character, originated from Bram Stoker's 1897 Gothic horror novel "Dracula." The character's name and some inspiration came from Vlad the Impaler (Vlad Dracula), a 15th-century Wallachian prince known for his cruel punishments. However, Stoker's Dracula was placed in Transylvania rather than Wallachia, and the character was a blend of vampire folklore from Central and Eastern Europe and Stoker's imagination. Dracula literally means "the dragon" or "devil" in Romanian, deriving from Vlad the Impaler's father's membership in the Order of the Dragon. The novel popularized vampire traits such as blood-drinking and aversion to garlic, which had roots in older vampire folklore across Europe. In summary, Dracula came from Bram Stoker's literary creation based on a mix of Eastern European vampire legends and partially inspired by the historical figure Vlad the Impaler, with the setting of Transylvania introduced as an eerie and fitting environment for the story.