Random name picker
Paste your names, one per line, and spin. Fair selection, a visible draw everyone can watch, and picked names can sit out the next round.
Guide
How to use it
- Replace the example names with your list, one name per line (a register or spreadsheet column pastes straight in).
- Spin. The chosen name lights up and is announced under the wheel.
- Tap Remove winner and keep going so the next spin only draws from those not yet picked.
- Keep the tab open for the session, or copy the URL to reload the same list tomorrow, names travel in the link, not on a server.
Examples
Where a name wheel beats a name hat
A classroom wheel makes questioning visibly fair, pupils watch the draw instead of suspecting the teacher’s favourites. Remove names after answering so everyone gets reached.
Five team names, spin for who presents first, remove and respin for the running order. Nobody engineers the last slot again.
Paste the ticket-holders, spin for first prize, remove, spin for second. The audience sees every draw happen, which quietens the "fix" jokes fast.
Method
How it works
This is the wheel spinner preloaded for name lists. Each spin draws one name uniformly with the browser’s cryptographic generator, removal between rounds turns repeated spins into a proper draw without replacement, like names from a hat that do not go back in.
Names never leave the device: the list lives in the page and, if you share it, in the URL fragment, which browsers do not transmit to servers.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Is it fair if names appear twice?
Duplicate lines mean double chance, which is sometimes what you want (weighted raffle tickets). For one-person-one-chance, check the list for accidental duplicates first.
Can pupils see it is not rigged?
The mechanism is at least visible and the maths is honest: equal segments, uniform draw. Showing the wheel on the board does more for trust than any assurance.
GDPR and pupil names, is this okay?
Names are processed only in the browser and are never sent to or stored on a server. Sharing the URL does embed the list in the link, so share it as carefully as you would the register.
How do I run a draw without replacement?
Use the remove-winner button after each spin. When the wheel empties you have a complete random ordering of the whole list.
What is the maximum class size?
Forty names fit. For a bigger cohort, number everyone and use the random number generator with no repeats.
Can I save several class lists?
Bookmark one URL per class, each link rebuilds its own wheel.
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