In Greek mythology, Hermes named Pandora before she was sent to Epimetheus. Hesiod’s account assigns Hermes the task of giving her a name after the other gods have contributed to her creation.
Hermes is the Olympian messenger, and his participation extends beyond delivering Pandora to humanity. The naming completes the divine presentation of a woman whose qualities have been assembled by the gods. He then takes her to Epimetheus, Prometheus’s brother.
The name Pandora means “all-gifted” or “all-giving,” a title that summarizes the many divine contributions made to her. The story’s wordplay is important: Pandora arrives as a gift, but Zeus intends her arrival to bring suffering to humans as punishment for Prometheus’s theft of fire.
This fact is sometimes confused with Zeus, because Zeus commands the project and controls the punishment. In Hesiod’s narrative, however, command, naming, and delivery are distinct actions, and Hermes is the figure associated with the name.