How to pick a random name
- Type or paste the names into Names, one per line. A single line separated by commas works too.
- Set How many names to draw, and tick Remove picked names from the list if nobody should come up twice.
- Click Pick a name or press Space. The winners show in the box and are added to Picked so far, which you can copy.
Ways to use a name picker
- Classrooms: pick who answers next or who presents first. Tick Remove picked names so everyone gets a turn before anyone goes twice.
- Raffles and giveaways: paste the entrants, set How many to the number of prizes and draw them all at once. Copy the winners from Picked so far to announce them.
- Meetings: choose who speaks first at a stand-up or who takes the notes this week.
- Chores and rotas: list the jobs instead of people and draw one each.
Making a draw people trust
Show the list on a shared screen before you draw, so everyone can see their name is in it. Then pick once and accept the result. Drawing again until you get a name you like defeats the point. If there’s a prize, write down the order the names were drawn: the second name is the fallback if the winner can’t be reached.
To pick with a spinning wheel instead, use the wheel spinner. To split everyone into groups rather than picking a few, use the team generator.