How to Use the Random Name Picker
You can use the wheel for names, teams, tasks, prizes, classroom prompts, or any short list where you need one choice. The fastest workflow is paste, spin, and read the winner.
Put one name or item on each line. Empty lines are ignored, and leading or trailing spaces are trimmed.
The counter and text list show exactly what is eligible. Duplicate entries remain separate unless you remove them.
The picker chooses the winning slot first, then rotates the wheel to land inside that selected segment.
Leave the winner active if repeats are allowed, or remove the selected occurrence before the next spin.
How the Random Selection Works
In equal-chance mode, every active list entry represents one selection slot. With N active entries, the probability for each slot is 1/N. Segment size, name length, entry order, and animation timing do not change that probability.
crypto.getRandomValues() function and rejection sampling to map a random 32-bit value to an entry index without simple modulo bias. The winner is fixed before the wheel starts moving.
The animation is only the visual result of the selection. A small random landing offset keeps the pointer away from segment boundaries so the displayed winner is easy to read. This tool is intended for ordinary classroom, team, game, and informal draw use. Regulated lotteries or audited contests may require approved procedures under local rules.
Keep or Remove Winners
If you keep a winner on the wheel, that entry can be selected again on a later spin. If you click Remove Winner, only the selected occurrence is removed. The pick stays in history, and the remaining slots are recalculated before the next spin.
For repeated classroom turns or assigning people without replacement, turn on Remove winners after each spin. If you remove someone by mistake, Undo Last Removal puts that occurrence back in its previous list position. Reset Picks restores the full current list and clears pick history.
Duplicate Names and Selection Chances
Duplicates are preserved by default because a repeated line may be intentional. Suppose Alex appears twice in a 10-entry list. Those two slots give Alex a combined 2/10, or 20%, of the selection slots. If every unique person should have one chance, use Remove Duplicates. Duplicate cleanup is exact and case-sensitive, so Alex and alex remain different entries.
Common Uses for a Random Name Wheel
Paste a student list, spin for a volunteer, then remove the selected student if everyone should get one turn before repeats.
Choose who presents first, assigns the next task, starts a game, or takes the next shift.
Pick one entry from a small giveaway, club activity, or friendly raffle where no regulated drawing process is required.
The input does not have to contain names. Add restaurant ideas, study topics, exercises, chores, or project options.
Privacy and Saved Lists
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I randomly pick a name from a list?
Paste one name per line, make sure at least two entries are active, and click Spin the Wheel. The selected name appears in the winner box and pick history.
Is the random name picker fair?
In equal-chance mode, every active entry is one selection slot with probability 1/N. Duplicate lines count as separate slots. The selection is made before the wheel animation begins.
How does the wheel choose a winner?
The picker uses crypto.getRandomValues() and an unbiased integer mapping to choose an active entry. It then calculates the wheel rotation needed to put the pointer inside that selected segment.
Can I paste a full list of names?
Yes. Paste one entry per line. The tool supports up to 200 active entries, with a practical 80-character limit per entry.
Can I remove a winner after each spin?
Yes. Remove the current winner manually, or enable automatic winner removal before spinning.
Can the same person win twice?
Yes if the winner stays active. If that occurrence is removed, it cannot be selected again unless you undo the removal, reset picks, or add it again.
Do duplicate names get extra chances?
Yes. Each duplicate line is a separate selection slot. Use Remove Duplicates if every exact unique entry should have one slot.
Can I use the wheel for students or items instead of people?
Yes. The picker treats every line as plain text, so it works for student names, teams, tasks, topics, food choices, prizes, or other items.
Does the picker save my names?
Not by default. The optional remember setting stores the list in browser local storage only after you turn it on.
Is this suitable for a legally regulated lottery?
It is designed for ordinary web use, not certified or legally audited drawings. Regulated contests and lotteries may require specific approved systems or procedures.
Related Tools and Probability Resources
For other ways to work with randomness, counting, and probability, use these existing Statistics Fundamentals pages. The Visual Tools hub is the main category for interactive visual utilities.