Random Name Picker

2026-10-06

Paste your class list or a list of entrants, press the button and get one name in large letters. With "No repeats" on, everyone is picked once before anyone comes round again. Your list, the picks and an undo button stay in this browser.

How to use the random name picker

1. Type or paste your names into the list, one name per line. A single line with commas, semicolons or tabs between the names is split for you. Blank entries are dropped and extra spaces trimmed. The page starts with sample names; replace them with your own. If you made a list in the Random Group Generator on this device, a button offers to copy it over.
2. Leave No repeats ticked if everyone should be picked once before anyone is picked again. Untick it if every pick should be independent of the earlier ones.
3. Press Pick a name, or press Space or Enter while the button has focus. The name appears in large letters, readable from the back of a room when projected. The roll animation can be switched off.
4. Watch the counter, for example "3 of 12 picked, 9 left". When every name has been picked, the page says so and offers Start a new round.
5. Use the history below: Undo last pick after a mis-click, Skip – absent if the person is not there, and Copy history to paste the picks into a document.

How it works

Let m be the number of names still in the pool: the whole list when "No repeats" is off, or the names not yet picked when it is on. The tool gives every entry in the pool the same chance:

p = 1 ÷ m

Here p is the probability that a particular entry is chosen. The tool draws a random whole number from 0 to m − 1 and takes the entry at that position. The number comes from crypto.getRandomValues, the random source built into your browser. To avoid a small bias, a draw that falls in the last, incomplete block of values is discarded and drawn again. If a browser lacks that source, the page falls back to Math.random.

With "No repeats" on, a picked name leaves the pool until the round ends, so after k picks the pool holds n − k names, where n is the list length (fewer if you skipped absent people).

Why the pick is fair

The winner is chosen by the random number alone, and it is chosen before the animation starts. The roll through names is only decoration: it slows down and stops on the name that was already decided. Seating, alphabetical order and the teacher's mood play no part. The choice is uniform over the names that remain, so nobody is favoured, although a short run of random picks can look streaky.

Examples

Example 1: five names, no repeats. Each name has a 1 in 5 chance (20%) on the first pick. The counter reads "1 of 5 picked, 4 left", then "2 of 5 picked, 3 left", and so on to "5 of 5 picked, 0 left". The sixth press picks nothing and shows that everyone has been picked.

Example 2: a class of 30, five picks done. The counter reads "5 of 30 picked, 25 left". Each of the 25 remaining names now has a 1 in 25 chance, p = 1 ÷ 25 = 0.04, which is 4%. The five who have already had a turn cannot appear until you start a new round.

Example 3: four names, no repeats off. Every pick is independent, so each name has a 25% chance every time. The chance that a pick repeats the previous name is 1 in 4, and the chance of the same name three times in a row, starting from any name, is 1 ÷ 4 × 1 ÷ 4 = 1 ÷ 16 = 6.25%. Repeats are normal here, not a fault.

Example 4: ten names, one absent. After three picks the counter reads "3 of 10 picked, 7 left". The third person is absent, so you press "Skip – absent". The counter becomes "2 of 10 picked, 7 left, 1 absent": the absent person is out of this round but was not counted as a turn.

Using it in a classroom, a meeting or a raffle

• Cold calling. Keep "No repeats" on so that every student is asked once per round and nobody is asked twice while others wait.
• Turn order. To decide who presents or goes first, pick names one at a time. The numbered history is the turn order; copy it to the board or a message.
• Raffle or prize draw. Paste the entrants, one per line, and press the button once per prize. With "No repeats" on, nobody wins twice in a round. Writing someone twice gives them two entries.

What "No repeats" does, and when to turn it off

A round is a pass through the list. While "No repeats" is on, a picked name stays out of the pool until you press Start a new round. When the pool is empty, the next press shows a message instead of picking.

Turn it off when repeats are fine: a quick-fire quiz where any student may be asked again, a sample from a long list, a game of chance, or a raffle where a winner may win again. Picks made while it is off are not counted for the round.

Tips for teachers

• Carry a round over several lessons. The list, settings, picked names and history are saved in this browser, so you can continue next lesson on the same device. Press "Start a new round" only when you want everyone back in.
• Undo a mis-click. "Undo last pick" puts the name back into the pool and removes it from the history.
• Same first name. Duplicates are kept because two real people can share a name. Writing "Anna K." and "Anna M." avoids confusion.
• Editing the list during a round. The picks of names that still exist are kept; the rest are dropped.

Frequently asked questions

Is it really random?

The choice comes from your browser's cryptographic random number generator, with a correction that removes the small bias a plain remainder would add. It is computer randomness rather than a physical draw, but unpredictable in practice. The animation does not influence the result.

Can a name be picked twice?

Not within a round while "No repeats" is on. With it off, yes: each pick is independent, so the same name can come up twice in a row. A name written twice in the list can also be picked twice in a round, once for each entry.

Does it remember my class?

Yes, in this browser. The list, settings, picked names and history are kept in local storage and are still there after a reload or the next day. They are not shared with other devices. Press "Clear list" to erase them.

How many names can I use?

There is no fixed limit. Lists of several hundred names are handled instantly on an ordinary phone or laptop.

Can I use it offline?

Yes, once the page has loaded. It makes no further requests, so picking works without a connection. Reloading while offline depends on your browser's cached copy.

Are my names uploaded or stored anywhere?

No. Everything happens in your browser and nothing is sent to a server. The saved data stays in this browser's local storage only. If storage is blocked, the picker still works but forgets everything when you close the page.

Related tools

• Random Group Generator — split the whole list into groups or teams.
• List Compare — compare two lists, for example an attendance list against a roster.
• Word Counter — count words and characters in a text.
• Sample Size Calculator — estimate how many people to survey.
• Galton Board — watch many random choices add up to a bell-shaped curve.