Ulysses S. Grant's real first name was Hiram. He was the 18th President of the United States and served from 1869 to 1877. He was a prominent Union general during the American Civil War and is often referred to as the 'Hero of Appomattox'. He was born in Ohio in 1822 and his given name was Hiram Ulysses Grant. His name was mistakenly changed to Ulysses Simpson Grant when he was appointed to West Point, and he kept the name for the rest of his life.