Vlad III , Prince of Wallachia , more commonly known as Vlad the Impaler ( Vlad Å cents epeÅ ` tsepeÊ in Romanian , also known as Vlad Dracula or Vlad DrÄ culea and KazÄ klÄ Bey in Turkish , born probably in November or December , 1431 â `` December 1476 ) was Prince ( voievod ) of Wallachia . Wallachia used to be a state which is now part of Romania . Vlad III , Prince of Wallachia ( 1431 â `` 1476 ) , more commonly known as Vlad the Impaler ( Romanian : Vlad È epeÈ ) or simply as Dracula , was a three-time Voivode of Wallachia , ruling mainly from 1456 to 1462 .