At long last I have found the birth record of my great grandfather. This find has left me a little confused. His name on the birth record is "Domenico Napolitano" with no mention of a middle name. His marriage record lists him as "Domenico Enrico" as does the birth record of his first 2 children (one of which is my grandfather). The third children's birth record dropped the Domenico and listed him as Enrico Napolitano as did his death record. So I am left to assume his middle name was not reported on the birth record. Was this common? I am wondering this because I cannot find a number of family members after their birth and am wondering if perhaps they could have gone by an name not listed on their birth record.
Thanks.

Cathy,

On my Grandfather's birth act it states his name as Franacesco yet his name (aas we've always known) was Bruno..Francesco Bruno. One of my Grandmothers was named Erminia Teresa (as per the baptism certificate) and yet there are no other records with her middle name on them (I have yet to order her birth act). And lastly, my mother is Raffaella Francesca..again, there are no records with her middle name on them. I think more and more it may have been the name given to them at the time of their baptism.

Do you think it is a confirmation name or a baptism name? My grandmother's middle name was her confirmation name. It is not on her birth certificate because of that, however, she started using it, and it is on her marriage certificate as her legal middle name.

There is only one way to know for sure - get the Baptism record. Has anyone ever tried to do that? I wonder what my chances of success would be?