In Hesiod’s mythology, what does the name Pandora traditionally mean?

In Hesiod’s mythology, the name Pandora traditionally means “all-gifted.”

The name comes from Greek elements commonly interpreted as pan, meaning “all,” and doron, meaning “gift.” In Hesiod’s account, the gods give Pandora different qualities or adornments, so the name reflects the story’s emphasis on divine gifts.

Hesiod presents Pandora in works including Works and Days and the Theogony. The later expression “Pandora’s box” developed from the myth’s container, although Hesiod described a jar or storage vessel rather than a box. The name and the vessel are therefore related parts of a tradition that changed in retelling.

Translations and modern summaries sometimes explain the name slightly differently, such as “all-giving” or “giver of all.” “All-gifted” is the conventional concise rendering of the name’s meaning in English discussions of the myth.