What's in a Name?

"I've no doubt, gentlemen," Kreizler finished for him, ever more concerned and treating them fully to the arched eyebrows and the predator gaze. "Interesting though that may be, what I had intended to ask was how you arrived at your areas of specialization, and what led you to the police force."

Lucius sighed, looking up. "Nobody wants to hear how we got our names, Marcus," he mumbled. "I've told you that."

I'm not entirely sure what kind of emphasis Caleb Carr places on the importance of character names in his fictional work. Other authors sometimes name a character something particular in order to reveal something about the individual's personality, past, or future within the series. With this in mind, I have decided to include an analysis of Laszlo's name (whether it's relevant to the series or not). If you feel that any of the information below is incorrect or you think that I've overlooked something then please feel free to contact me.

Laszlo

The name "Laszlo" is the Hungarian form of "Vladislav" and means "God will help". Additionally, there was an 11th century king of Hungary said to embody bravery and Christian virtues. He was named Saint László and it is said that no other Hungarian king was so "generally beloved". You can find more information about him at Wikipedia.org.

The fact that the name is Hungarian is interesting as we know that although Laszlo's mother was Hungarian, his father never allowed his children to speak their mother's native language. Indeed, he seems to have seperated them as much from their mother's Hungarian culture as is possible. Why, then, Laszlo's name is Hungarian (probably chosen by his mother) is a bit of a mystery.

The Kabalarian analysis of the name Laszlo is also somewhat correct. They state that: "The name of Laszlo creates a quiet, systematic, and technical nature and a clever, inventive mind, attentive to detail. You are attracted to working outdoors in nature, where you would experience the peace and serenity you so much desire. You would find electricity, electronics, and similar technical fields of interest, as well as computer, mathematical, and scientific studies. You are inclined to be quiet, reserved, patient, and conservative, preferring to test and prove everything to your own satisfaction before committing yourself. You like to finish what you start without interruptions, and also to have everything in its place and properly organized."

Kreizler

I have been able to determine that this German surname is real (albeit rare). In fact, there were at least three members of a Kreizler family living in New York at the end of the 19th century. Despite this piece of information, I'm uncertain about the meaning of the name and so my search continues. If you have any information about the surname then please contact me and let me know.