What does the Greek name “Pandora” most directly mean?

The Greek name Pandora most directly means “all-gifted,” or “all-giving.” It comes from the elements pan, meaning “all,” and doron, meaning “gift.” The name reflects the gifts and attributes supplied by the gods during her creation.

Hesiod’s account presents Pandora as a divinely fashioned woman whose appearance and qualities are assembled by multiple deities. Her name therefore describes the combined divine contribution rather than identifying one particular gift. English translations vary slightly, including “all-gifted” and “gifted by all.”

The meaning is sometimes misread as “she who gives everything,” but the name’s traditional interpretation emphasizes that she received gifts from all the gods. That distinction matters because Pandora is portrayed as the recipient of divine qualities before she becomes associated with the vessel.

The name’s positive surface meaning also contributes to the myth’s dramatic irony. Pandora appears as a beautiful and richly endowed gift, yet her arrival is connected with Zeus’s punishment of humankind.