The domain name system (DNS) is a key componentof the Internet. The DNS is essentially a hierarchical anddistributed database that involves – and is operated by – manyindependent parties that fulfill various roles. Top-level domainssuch as .com and .co.uk are run by registries. Registrants canregister domain names, usually through so-called registrars, butsometimes directly with the TLD registry.Domain names go through a well-defined life-cycle and namesthat are only short-lived in ways break expectation. In thispaper, we study domain name lifetimes at scale and over a tenyear period. We focus on ten prominent TLDs and observe thatunder most, the vast majority of lifetimes (95%) last exactly theminimum registration term of one year. The exception to thisis .com, which sees 40% of lifetimes renewed for at least onemore year. We also identify lifetimes that are suspiciously shortlived (e.g., 80% under .xyz). Using blocklist data we confirmthat about 25% are reportedly malicious and study indicators ifnames are taken down and how quickly. Finally, we empiricallystudy malicious name registration campaigns and show that thisinvolves registrars that offer bulk registration options.