In Greek mythology, what does the name “Pandora” mean in English?

In Greek mythology, the name Pandora means “all-gifted.” The name comes from the Greek elements pan, meaning “all,” and doron, meaning “gift” or “present.” It reflects the myth’s idea that Pandora received gifts from multiple gods before being sent to humanity.

Hesiod presents Pandora as a specially created woman whose arrival forms part of Zeus’s response to Prometheus’s theft of fire. Different gods contribute qualities or possessions to her, making the name especially appropriate to the story. The name is therefore not a description of one particular gift, but of the collective divine gifts associated with her creation.

A common mix-up is treating Pandora as a goddess. In the earliest surviving Greek literary accounts, she is a mortal woman created by the gods. The expression “Pandora’s box” is also later than Hesiod’s jar story; the Greek word pithos refers to a large storage jar, not a small box.