The term “vampire” is of Eastern European descent, in use as early as the seventeenth century, perhaps two hundred years earlier; thus, vampires from the first millennium and older would not have called themselves “vampires” until the latter half of the second millennium.
When Amel enters into Queen Akasha, and she makes King Enkil her first fledgling—the first two vampires in existence—they call themselves “Drinkers of the Blood,” a term describing their most obviously identifiable behavior that makes mortals most fearful of them.
Following their transformation into blood drinkers, they begin making fledglings, such as Khayman, Gundesanth, Teskhamen, Nebamun, and Rhoshamandes, who follow their makers’ example and also refer to themselves by the term “Drinker of the Blood.” During the passage of century after century, as the Drinker of the Blood race proliferates, breaking into factions of good and evil that fight against each other, they continue to keep that title and share it with their fledglings in following generations.
The idiom appears in The Vampire Lestat (1985) and The Queen of the Damned (1988). For more perspectives on the Drinkers of the Blood in the Vampire Chronicles, read the Alphabettery entries Akasha, Amel, Blood Drinker, Enkil, Khayman, Nebamun, Rhoshamandes, Santh, and Teskhamen.