What is a random name picker?

A random name picker is a tool that selects one name at random from a list. The most common form is a spinning wheel: each name occupies a colored slice, the wheel rotates, and the name under the pointer when it stops is the winner. The visible spin makes the choice feel fair and engaging — important when picking in front of an audience, a classroom, or a livestream chat.

How does the random name picker work?

Internally, every spin calls crypto.getRandomValues() — the browser's cryptographically secure random number generator — to pick a winning index. The wheel then animates to land on that slice. The visual rotation is purely cosmetic; the result is decided up front from a high-entropy source (operating-system-level entropy seeded by hardware timings, mouse moves, keyboard delays, network jitter), so it's effectively unpredictable and impossible to rig.

Is the random name picker really random?

Yes. It uses crypto.getRandomValues(), the same primitive that powers cryptographic key generation in the browser. We do not use Math.random(), which is statistically uniform but predictable. Because each spin is independent, there's no memory of past results — a name that just won has the same odds of winning the next spin (unless you remove it via the 'Remove winner' setting).

Can I weight names so some are more likely to win?

Yes. Add a multiplier with an asterisk: 'Alice*3' gives Alice three slices on the wheel — three times the odds of a single-entry name. This is the standard way to model multi-ticket raffles, VIPs, or any scenario where the underlying odds aren't uniform.

Can I pick more than one winner per spin?

Yes. Open Settings and set 'Pick count' to 2 or higher (up to 20). The wheel spins once per winner, automatically excluding already-picked names, and shows the full winner list at the end. Useful for raffle draws with multiple prizes or picking a small group from a large list.

Is it free? Do I need to sign up?

Completely free, no signup, no ads, no email harvest. Wheels are saved in your browser's local storage. The site runs entirely in your browser after the first load — your entries and winner data never leave your device.

Can I share my wheel with someone?

Yes. Click the share icon to copy a URL containing your encoded wheel. Anyone who opens the link is offered to import the exact same entries into their own browser. For real-time shared spinning (everyone watches the same animation), use the multiplayer spin wheel instead.

Does it work on mobile?

Yes. The wheel is fully responsive, supports tap-to-spin on phones and tablets, and works on iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, and ChromeOS. Fullscreen mode is supported on devices that allow it.

Random Name Picker

A free random name picker that takes a list of names and chooses one — fairly, visibly, and instantly. Paste your list, hit spin, and the wheel lands on a winner using a cryptographically secure random number generator. Use it for cold-calling students, drawing raffle winners, picking a presenter, or any time you need an unbiased pick from a list.

Built for teachers, raffle hosts, team leads, streamers, and event organizers — anyone who needs a fast, fair, and visible random selection from a list of names.

Open the wheel →

Sample entries — Sample names

Alice
Bob
Charlie
Diana
Ethan
Fiona
George
Hannah

Copy these into the Entries tab on the main wheel.

Why use this wheel

Cryptographically secure randomness (crypto.getRandomValues)
Weight names with the Name*N syntax (extra slices = higher odds)
Multi-pick mode draws up to 20 winners at once
Custom colors per name and 13 wheel shapes
Save unlimited wheels — switch with one click
Share wheels via link — coworkers see the same entries
Fullscreen presentation mode (press F)
Works offline after first load

Common uses

Classroom cold-calling. Add your roster, spin to call on a student fairly. Removes social bias from who-gets-called-on.
Raffle / giveaway draws. Paste ticket holders, weight by tickets purchased, and draw a winner live in front of the audience.
Stand-up rotation. Pick who presents next, who runs the retro, or who buys lunch. Fast, fair, and surprisingly fun.
Stream giveaways. Drop subscriber names, spin on stream, announce the winner with TTS and confetti.
Decision making. Stuck between options? Add them to a wheel and let the spin break the tie.
Group activities. Random partner pairing, presentation order, who-goes-first in a game.

When to use a random name picker

Random name pickers solve a deceptively important problem: picking fairly when humans can't be trusted to. When a teacher cold-calls a student, the brain's bias toward 'the student who looked attentive' or 'the one in the front row' is largely unconscious — a wheel removes that bias entirely. When a raffle host draws a winner from a hat, the audience has to trust that the hat wasn't tampered with. A visible, on-screen wheel converts trust into something verifiable: everyone sees the same animation land on the same name.

Most users reach for a name picker for one of four reasons: (1) the decision is genuinely random and they want a uniform-distribution outcome; (2) the decision must look random to an audience, even if they trust themselves; (3) they're tired of arguing and want a tie-break; (4) they want the moment of suspense — the slow deceleration of the wheel — as a piece of theatre.

Tips for fair name-picker usage

Use 'Remove winner from wheel' for any draw where each person should be picked at most once — typical for class roll-call, presentation order, or single-prize raffles. Otherwise, the same name can win twice in a row, which is mathematically fine but feels broken to the audience.

For weighted draws (multi-ticket raffles, seniority-weighted rotations), use the Name*N syntax instead of duplicating names. It's easier to update — bump 'Alice*3' to 'Alice*5' rather than editing five Alice rows — and it self-documents the weight in the URL when you share the wheel.

If you're picking in front of an audience and the result matters, share the URL of your wheel with a co-host so they have an independent copy. They can verify after the spin that you didn't quietly add or remove names. This is standard practice for live-stream sub giveaways and charity raffles.