The generic name, Bradycneme, comes from the Ancient Greek  (), meaning "slow, ponderous" and  (), meaning "leg", as the holotype, BMNH A1588, a  wide distal tibiotarsus found by Maud Eleanora Seeley, would be very stout if the animal had been an owl, with a body height of about . The specific name, draculae, is derived from Romanian , meaning "the dragon," and refers to Dracula.
The generic name, Bradycneme, comes from the Ancient Greek  (), meaning "slow, ponderous" and  (), meaning "leg", as the holotype, BMNH A1588, a  wide distal tibiotarsus found by Maud Eleanora Seeley, would be very stout if the animal had been an owl, with a body height of about . The specific name, draculae, is derived from Romanian , meaning "the dragon," and refers to Dracula.