What does the ancient Greek name Pandora traditionally mean?

The ancient Greek name Pandora is traditionally interpreted to mean “all-gifted.”

The name is commonly connected with the Greek words pan, meaning “all,” and doron, meaning “gift.” In the myth, Pandora receives contributions from multiple gods, which helps explain the name’s traditional interpretation. The gifts are not necessarily all beneficial: Hesiod presents her as part of Zeus’s punishment of humanity.

This meaning is sometimes confused with the later moral symbolism attached to Pandora’s jar. The name itself describes the gifts associated with Pandora, while the jar story concerns the consequences of opening the container. Modern retellings often simplify both ideas into the phrase “Pandora’s box,” even though Hesiod describes a jar or storage vessel rather than a box.

Translations and etymological explanations can vary in wording, but “all-gifted” is the standard English gloss used in discussions of the myth. It is also why Pandora’s name is frequently associated with the many gods who participate in her creation.