What does the name “Pandora” mean in the Greek myth about Pandora’s jar?

The name “Pandora” means “all-gifted” in the Greek myth about Pandora’s jar. It is commonly explained from Greek words meaning “all” and “gifts.”

The name suits Hesiod’s account because the gods give Pandora various qualities before she is sent to humanity. The myth describes her as receiving gifts from several deities, including beauty, skill, and persuasive abilities. Her name can therefore be read as describing both the many gifts she receives and her role as a gift sent by Zeus.

Pandora is not simply a later symbol of curiosity. In Hesiod’s Works and Days, her arrival is part of a divine punishment and an explanation for the presence of hardship among humans. Modern retellings frequently shorten the story to the warning about opening the container, while the meaning of her name points back to the myth’s larger theme of divine gifts with hidden consequences.