A julgar pela entrevista entre a Suzanne Collins e a Scholastic, não parece haver nenhuma outra significado em nome de Panem que não seja a frase latina e é por isso que ela escolheu:
In keeping with the classical roots, I send my tributes into an updated version of the Roman gladiator games, which entails a ruthless government forcing people to fight to the death as popular entertainment. The world of Panem, particularly the Capitol, is loaded with Roman references. Panem itself comes from the expression “Panem et Circenses” which translates into “Bread and Circuses.”
Eu acho improvável que exista alguma conexão com a Pan-Am porque os livros são muito claros de que Panem costumava ser a América, então não acrescentaria nada. Do primeiro capítulo dos Jogos Vorazes:
Just as the town clock strikes two, the mayor steps up to the podium and begins to read. It’s the same story every year. He tells of the history of Panem, the country that rose up out of the ashes of a place that was once called North America.