Random Name Picker: Spin the Wheel to Pick a Name

Paste your list of names, press Spin, and the wheel picks one at random. Turn on no repeats to work through the whole list.

  • No-repeat mode
  • Paste from Excel or Sheets
  • Secure random draw
  • Free, no sign-up

Click the wheel or press Ctrl + Enter to spin

Paste a whole list at once. To give an entry more chances, add *2, *3… at the end of its line, or set an exact share with *25%.

How it works

How to Pick a Random Name

A random name picker chooses one name from a list so that every name has the same chance. Here is the quickest way to use it.

1

Add the names

Type one name per line, or paste a whole column from a spreadsheet, class register or chat. The sample names are only there to show how it works.

2

Choose repeats or no repeats

Leave the default to keep every name in every draw, or tick Remove winner after each spin so each person is picked once.

3

Spin

Click the wheel, press Spin or use Ctrl + Enter. The winner is drawn before the wheel moves, so the animation can’t change the result.

4

Keep a record

Every name picked goes into the Results tab with the time, which is handy for presentation orders and prize draws.

No repeats

Pick Names With No Repeats

Turn on Remove winner after each spin and every name leaves the wheel when you close the result. Keep spinning and you work through the whole list with no one picked twice. When the wheel is empty, press Restore removed to start a new round.

Use this mode for cold calling, reading turns and presentation order: it guarantees everyone gets a turn before anyone goes again.

How do I make a presentation order?

Turn on no repeats and spin until the wheel is empty. The Results tab now lists everyone in the order they were picked, from the newest at the top.

Why did the same name come up twice?

With repeats allowed, each spin is a fresh draw. With 12 names there is a 1 in 12 chance the next spin matches the last one. That’s normal for a fair draw; no-repeat mode avoids it.

Big lists

Paste Names From Excel, Google Sheets or a Class List

Select the names in one column, copy, and paste them into the box. Each cell becomes one line, so each person becomes one entry. Empty lines are ignored.

  • Check for duplicates. A name pasted twice has twice the chance. Press Sort A–Z to put matching names next to each other.
  • Use first name and initial when two people share a first name, for example “Sam K” and “Sam T”.
  • Long lists are fine. With hundreds of names the labels get too small to print on the wheel, but every name stays in the draw and the winner is shown in large text.

The odds for each name

On a normal wheel every name has the same chance:

  • 10 names: 10% each
  • 25 names: 4% each
  • 30 names: about 3.3% each

Need someone to have extra chances, like two raffle tickets? Add *2 after their name. Turn on Show each entry’s chance and everyone can see the new percentages.

Use cases

Ways People Use a Name Picker Wheel

Classrooms

Call on students fairly, choose reading turns, form a speaking order or pick who chooses the next song. Keep it positive: share out turns and jobs, not punishments. See 25 ways teachers use a spinner wheel.

Giveaways

Paste the entrants, add extra chances in the open if your rules allow them, and spin live. Our giveaway guide covers the full process.

Meetings and teams

Set the stand-up order, choose who takes notes, or decide who presents first, without anyone feeling singled out by a manager.

Family and housemates

Pick who chooses the film, who washes up, or who sits in the front seat. Put the wheel on full screen so nobody argues with the result.

Clubs and sport

Choose a captain, a kit-washing rota or a quiz host. With no repeats on, everyone gets a turn across the season.

Games and parties

Pick who goes first, who answers next, or who gets the next dare. For a ready-made yes or no answer, try the yes or no wheel.

Fairness

Is This Name Picker Fair?

Yes. The winner is drawn by your browser’s cryptographically secure random number generator (crypto.getRandomValues) before the wheel starts to turn. Every name has an equal chance unless you add extra chances yourself, and those always show on screen.

Want proof? Open the Fairness tab and run 10,000 test spins on your list. You’ll see each name’s share land close to its expected share. Read how we keep the wheel fair for the details.

Does my list get uploaded?

No. Your names are saved in your own browser so they’re still there next time, and they are never sent to our server. This page keeps its own list, separate from the homepage wheel.

Can I start again?

Press Reset list to go back to the sample names, or Clear to empty the box.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I pick a random name from a list?

Paste the list into the box above, one name per line, and press Spin. The wheel picks one name with an equal chance for everyone.

Can the name picker avoid repeats?

Yes. Tick “Remove winner after each spin”. Each winner leaves the wheel when you close the result, until everyone has been picked.

How many names can I add?

As many as you need. With very long lists the names are too small to print on the wheel, but they all stay in the draw.

Can I pick more than one name at once?

Spin once for each name you need with “Remove winner after each spin” turned on. That way nobody is picked twice and the Results tab keeps the order.

Can I give one person more chances?

Yes. Add *2, *3 and so on after their name. Turn on “Show each entry’s chance” so everyone can see the odds.

Does it save my list?

Yes, in your own browser. This page remembers its own list. Press “Reset list” to bring back the sample names.

Does it work on a phone or a classroom screen?

Yes. It runs in any modern browser, and the Full screen button makes it easy to read on a projector or interactive whiteboard.

More wheels

Related tools and guides

Spin the Wheel

The main wheel for any list of options, names or prizes.

Yes or No Wheel

A ready-made wheel for quick yes or no answers.

How to Pick a Giveaway Winner

Step-by-step guide to a fair, provable prize draw.

Classroom wheels

Brain breaks, question wheel and review-game points.

Secret Santa generator

Draw Secret Santa names privately: no self-matches, couples kept apart.

Giveaway picker

Paste comments, remove duplicates and draw winners plus backups.

Why names repeat

The maths of repeats and streaks on a name wheel.

Use it in PowerPoint or Slides

Link the wheel from your presentation.

Pick a name in Excel or Sheets

Copy-paste formulas, including no repeats.

Sports Wheels

Fair ways to split players into teams, plus PE games.