Pandora comes from Greek words meaning “all-gifted” or “all gifts.”
The name reflects the myth’s description of Pandora as a figure assembled through contributions from many gods. Hephaestus shapes her from earth, Athena gives instruction and adornment, Aphrodite supplies beauty, and Hermes contributes qualities associated with deception and communication. Her name therefore emphasizes the number and variety of divine gifts involved in her creation.
The meaning does not necessarily mean that every gift was beneficial. In Hesiod’s account, Pandora’s qualities are part of Zeus’s punishment of humanity, and her beauty is paired with a deceptive disposition. This is why the name is sometimes misunderstood as simply praising her generosity. Anesidora is a related or earlier epithet connected with the figure, while Panacea is a different Greek name associated with universal healing. The familiar English expression “Pandora’s box” preserves the woman’s name but changes the ancient jar into a box through later translation history.