how can i tell what the badges are that have been gifted to me without activing them?

Do you mean without opening them?  You can guess by what the number is next to your gift link, as long as you know when you open gifts the last time.  There were 4 GOTM Badges gifted on 1/1, and the Superstar Platinum M&M on 1/14.  If you have gifts from a friend there would be no way of knowing what they were, unless they told you.  There were only 5 gifts from Pogo since 1/1/21.
 
You never have to activate them when you open them.  I have never activated a badge from my gifts.  I do all that from my M&M Albums, always have.