In Greek mythology, Pandora is the name meaning “all-gifted” given to the woman associated with the famous container.
The name comes from the Greek elements pan, meaning “all,” and doron, meaning “gift.” Hesiod’s account presents Pandora as a figure to whom the gods contribute different qualities or gifts. This etymology explains why English-language retellings often connect her name with the many divine gifts she receives.
Pandora’s story appears most fully in Hesiod’s Works and Days and is also connected with the earlier Theogony. In the myth, Zeus has Pandora made as part of the punishment imposed on humanity after Prometheus gives humans fire.
A common mix-up is treating Pandora as the container itself. Pandora is the woman; the container is usually called a jar in translations, although “box” became the familiar English form later.