If you pay close attention to character names, a lot of the time, J.K. Rowling often bases the names off of the each character's personality. Take Pomona Sprout, Herbology teacher. As if there wasn't enough of a clue from the surname Sprout, Pomona was the goddess of fruit trees. Another instance is Malfoy, or mal foie, means "bad faith" in French, and thus far what we know about the Malfoys is that they are a Dark wizarding family (though as I've stated, I believe that something is about to change in that respect).
Now take Blaise Zabini. Zabini, an Italian surname, does not really indicate anything about the student's personality like his first name does. Blaise was Merlin's master (for more on Merlin, read about the legend of King Arthur) and in one of the Grail writings, he's the keeper of the Grail itself. In a sense, "Blaise is the inner self of Merlin. When the mysteries are complete, Merlin reports to Blaise, who then records the details of the Quest" (CRC). Blaise also means "stammering." To me, the meaning and attribution of the name seems to reflect something more about the Slytherin's personality, like his influence and intelligence, and other aspects that are yet to be exhibited.
We know Blaise as a dark, exotic-looking, Slytherin boy (mother French, father Italian). He's mysterious and independent, self-reliant and nonconforming. It seems to me like there is more than meets the eye. To me, he is so secretive that it is hard to know where his true loyalties lie and what his true intentions are, so I will not say that he will become good or evil, but there is something to him, something important that will make him a bigger character in the final book.
