The Greek name used for Pandora in ancient sources is Pandōra, commonly written Pandora in English. It means “all-gifted” or “all-giver,” from pan, “all,” and dōron, “gift.”
The name appears in the ancient Greek tradition associated with Hesiod. In the myth, Pandora receives contributions from multiple gods, so the name emphasizes the collective divine role in her creation and adornment.
Pandōra should not be confused with words such as anankē, meaning necessity or compulsion, or with the Moirai, the Fates. Those terms belong to other parts of Greek religious vocabulary and do not name the woman in the jar story.
English normally drops the macron used in scholarly transliteration and writes Pandora. The Greek form is useful for understanding the original wordplay, while “Pandora’s box” is a later English expression based on the myth’s container.