In Hesiod’s Pandora story, the name Pandora most commonly means “all-gifted.”
The name comes from Greek elements commonly analyzed as pan, meaning “all,” and doron, meaning “gift.” This reflects the myth’s description of the gods contributing different qualities, ornaments, or abilities to the first woman fashioned at Zeus’s command. Her name therefore connects her identity with the gifts supplied by the divine makers.
Some ancient scholarship and modern discussions have proposed alternative nuances, including an interpretation related to “all-giving.” The wording and grammar of the myth have encouraged debate because Pandora is associated both with receiving gifts and with the earth’s fertility. Nevertheless, “all-gifted” is the standard English gloss in reference works and modern retellings.
The name is not a reference to a physical box. It belongs to Pandora herself and predates the widespread English expression “Pandora’s box.” Keeping those two parts separate helps distinguish the original Greek name from later versions of the story.