Pallas signifies "brandisher" (someone who waves, flourishes, or exhibits menacingly), that is, as a spear.

An asteroid was named Pallas as well as a very rare metallic element called palladiium which was named after the asteroid.

Because a statue of Pallas Athene , which stood in front of the city of Troy was supposed to have helped preserve the city from danger, the word palladium also has come to mean "a potent safeguard".