The name Pandora comes from the Greek word Pandora, commonly interpreted as “all-gifted” or “all-giving.”
Hesiod explains the name through the gifts given to Pandora by the gods. In the myth, different deities contribute qualities or adornments before Zeus sends her to Epimetheus and the human world. The name therefore highlights the collective role of the gods in creating and preparing her.
The Greek form is often transliterated as Πανδώρα. It combines pan, meaning “all,” with dōron, meaning “gift.” English discussions sometimes gloss it as “all-gifted,” while “all-giving” reflects another interpretation of the same components.
Pandora’s name is not derived from the container itself. The jar became associated with her later through the story in which she opens it, while the name originally emphasizes the gifts bestowed on her by the gods.