Why did the general and president we know as Ulysses Grant change his given name, Hiram Ulysses, to Ulysses Hiram? July 14, 2017 By Show answer He did not want his initials to be H.U.G. He became U.S. Grant when his congressman mistakenly nominated him for West Point as Ulysses Simpson Grant. (Simpson was his mother’s maiden name.) More American Presidents QuestionsMore History Questions