Pandora’s mythological name is etymologically translated as “all-gifted.”
The name Pandora comes from Greek roots commonly analyzed as pan, meaning “all,” and doron, meaning “gift.” It reflects the story’s description of her as receiving contributions from multiple gods. Some translations render the name as “all-giving,” because the second element can be understood in a way that emphasizes giving rather than being gifted.
The name’s meaning adds irony to Hesiod’s narrative. Pandora appears as a divinely decorated gift to humanity, but her arrival is also part of Zeus’s punishment after Prometheus steals fire. The myth therefore combines beauty, generosity, deception, and danger in a single name.
“Earth-born” is a tempting alternative because Hesiod says Pandora’s body is fashioned from earth, but that describes her creation rather than the usual etymology of her name. “Fire-bringer” belongs to Prometheus’s mythic role, not Pandora’s.