Random Name Picker
Draw one winner or several from a list of names.
Random Name Picker: the tool
Names and options
0 names. A name written twice has twice the chance.
Each entry can win once in a draw.
Handy for drawing prizes one after another.
Saved lists
They are kept in this browser only. Nothing is sent to a server.
No saved list yet.
Winners
Add your names and press Pick. The winners appear here.
Paste your list, say how many winners you need and press Pick. It suits classroom volunteers, giveaway winners, raffle prizes and any time a group needs someone chosen without argument. The names never leave your browser.
How it works
When you ask for several winners, the picker draws without replacement: it chooses one entry, sets it aside, then chooses from what is left, and so on. Every entry has the same chance at every step, and nobody can win twice in the same draw unless you untick Do not pick the same entry twice. The order of the results is the order of the draw, so the first name is first place.
Each line of the box is one entry. If a name is on two lines it has two entries and twice the chance, and each entry can win only once. That is how you give some people extra chances on purpose, for example one entry per ticket bought, and it is why a name you pasted by accident twice can surprise you.
For prizes drawn one after another, tick Take the winners off the list. After each draw, the winners are removed, one entry per winner, so the next draw is made among the people who have not won. The list stays in your browser, and you can save it under a name to reuse it for the next class or event.
How to use it
- Paste or type the names, one per line, or press Use an example.
- Enter how many winners you want. By default nobody is picked twice.
- Tick Take the winners off the list if you will draw again from the people who remain.
- Press Pick. The winners appear in the order they were drawn, ready to copy.
Example
Three winners from a list of eight names, drawn without replacement with a fixed sequence. The order is the order of the draw.
What was set
- Names
- Ana, Ben, Cleo, Dan, Eva, Finn, Gus, Hana
- Winners
- 3, no entry picked twice
What came out
- Winner 1
- Gus
- Winner 2
- Ben
- Winner 3
- Eva
Good to know
- The list can hold up to 500 entries of 100 characters each, and you can pick up to 1,000 winners at a time.
- If you ask for more winners than there are entries, you are told, because nobody can be picked twice unless you allow it.
- The picker is random but not certified, and a draw cannot be audited afterwards. For a giveaway that the law regulates, check the rules where you live and use a method that is open to inspection.
Questions people ask
How do I know the pick is fair?
Each draw uses your browser's cryptographic random generator with a method that gives every entry the same probability, so there is no hidden order and nothing to favour a name at the top or the bottom of the list. You can show people the page while you press Pick, though a draw cannot be replayed afterwards.
Can I pick several winners at once without duplicates?
Yes, and that is the default. Enter the number of winners and keep Do not pick the same entry twice ticked. Each winner is taken out of the draw before the next one is chosen.
What if two people have the same name?
Write them on separate lines, perhaps adding an initial, such as Sam K. and Sam L. Two identical lines count as two entries, so a repeated name can win twice, once for each line.
Can I draw prizes one after another?
Yes. Tick Take the winners off the list, pick one winner, and press Pick again for the next prize. Each draw is made among the entries that are left.
Does it keep my list?
Only if you press Save, and then only in your own browser. If you do not save, the list disappears when you close or reload the page. Nothing is sent to a server in either case.