In Hesiod’s account, the name Pandora means “all-gifted.”
The name comes from Greek elements commonly explained as pan, meaning “all,” and doron, meaning “gift.” Hesiod presents Pandora as receiving gifts from several gods, so the name connects her identity with the divine contributions that shaped her.
The Works and Days gives the name a more specific grammatical sense: the gods gave her gifts, or she was gifted by all the gods. This differs slightly from the popular modern gloss “giver of all gifts,” which can suggest that Pandora herself gives gifts to everyone. The ancient context focuses on gifts bestowed upon her.
Pandora’s creation is part of Zeus’s punishment after Prometheus acquired fire for humanity. Different gods supply features or abilities, including craftsmanship, adornment, speech, and persuasion. The result is a figure whose name and construction are central to the poem’s account of human suffering and divine retaliation.