Random name picker

Questions

How do I pick a random name from a list?

Type the names into the list, or paste them all at once: one per line, a single line with commas, or a column copied from a spreadsheet. Set how many names you want and tap Pick.

Is the name picker really random?

Yes. Each name is drawn with your browser’s cryptographic random number generator, with rejection sampling, so every name has exactly the same chance (with Weights on, exactly its share of the tickets). The winner is decided before the shuffle on screen starts.

How do I stop the same name coming up twice?

Use Bag. A picked name stays out until everyone has been picked once, then you reset the bag and start again. No repeats only stops a name coming up twice in the same draw.

Can I pick more than one name at a time?

Yes. Set how many with the plus and minus buttons, up to everyone on the list. Nobody comes up twice in one draw unless you choose Repeats. Pick the whole list to get a random order.

Can I use it to cold call students?

Yes. Paste your class list once, switch to Bag and pick one name at a time, so everyone gets a turn before anyone gets a second one. Tap the eye next to a name to sit out a student who is away.

Can I remove a name once it is picked?

Yes. After a draw, tap Remove picked and those names leave the list. Save the full list under My lists first if you will need it again. The web keeps 3 lists.

Is my list saved or sent anywhere?

Your list stays in this browser and is never sent to a server. Share makes a link with the list in the part after the #, which browsers do not send to a server either, so only people you give the link to see it.