were middle names common/documented in late 1800s?

[babbott]

I've been trying to research my 2nd-great grandfather Rocco Malfa who we believe was born in 1883 in Sicily. I've been going through birth records and military records since all men needed to enlist, but can't find anything. I started wondering if 'Rocco' was perhaps a middle name and he went by that and was wondering if it was common for them in the 1880s to be given a middle name, and if so, would it be documented in records like we do today?

[Italysearcher]

I answered this in your other post but, yes, middle names were always recorded in official documents. All men were included in the Lista di Leva but not all had to serve so if you are search Foglio matricolare you might not find him. In fact Sicilians had an exemption for a period of time.