Is the pick actually fair?

Every entry has the same chance from crypto.getRandomValues, mapped by rejection sampling rather than a biased remainder. The reveal is built after the winner is chosen. Repeating a name gives that person extra entries, so equal chances per entry do not mean equal chances per person. The page cannot prove entry eligibility or certify a public raffle; completed draws are kept only in this page view.

How do I stop the same name coming up twice?

First use Remove repeated names if a person appears more than once; matching ignores case and repeated spaces and keeps the first spelling. Leave Set aside on to remove each drawn entry. Otherwise other copies of a name can still be picked. Keep in pool allows repeated independent picks, including repeats within a multi-name draw. Reset pool starts a new round with the current list.

Can I pick more than one name at a time?

Set Pick count to a whole number no larger than the remaining pool. With Set aside, the tool draws distinct entries together; identical names may still appear if they have separate tickets. For two different people, remove repeated names first and set the count to 2. To make a full random order, choose Set aside and draw the whole deduplicated pool or pick one at a time.

Can I use it for a raffle or a giveaway?

Paste your prepared eligible entries and choose the count. A repeated name is a separate ticket: two copies among ten entries give that person a 2 in 10 chance on the first pick. Set aside removes the picked ticket, not all copies belonging to that person. Copy draws copies completed results chronologically. The picker does not import social-media comments, validate entries or provide an independently verifiable draw record.

Does it work for a classroom?

Paste the class register, remove accidental repeated names and use Set aside to call on each student once. Space draws outside input fields and buttons; Enter in Pick count also draws. A changed parsed list or Reset pool clears the round, including a reveal in progress. Whitespace-only list edits keep the current round. The list and changed preferences can be remembered locally; draw history is not restored.

Is there a limit on how many names I can paste?

There is no imposed list-length limit; your device memory is the practical ceiling. Pick count cannot exceed the pool. Paste a single spreadsheet column or a comma-separated list. First and last names separated by spaces stay together; a comma in a name splits it into two entries, so use Jane Smith instead of Smith, Jane. Only fields you deliberately edit update stored preferences; opening a city or topic page alone does not replace a saved list.

Can I exclude names or run a Secret Santa gift exchange?

For an ordinary draw, delete ineligible entries before picking. That starts a new round. This picker has no giver-to-recipient exclusions, secret assignment links or email delivery. Use the linked Secret Santa Generator for one-to-one gift assignments with forbidden pairs; use Random Team Generator to form balanced groups or pairs.

Is this a wheel, a duck race or a name generator?

The reveal flicks through the supplied entries and slows onto an already selected result. It does not invent personal names, show duck or horse races, or provide a rigged winner setting. Use Spin the Wheel for a circular wheel and Random Number Generator for a numeric range. Example list offers world cities, 20 US cities, 20 European cities and 30 discussion topics.

Random Name Picker

Paste names, choices or items, one per line or separated by commas. Pick draws one or several entries with a slot-style reveal and keeps a local history of up to 100 draws. Each entry has the same chance: repeated names receive extra chances. Remove repeated names before starting if each person should appear only once, then leave Set aside on for an order without repeats.

Names8 names

The pick8 of 8 in the pool

Ready

Pool: 8 of 8

Pick count

Picked name

Example list

Every entry is a ticket. Set aside removes tickets, so repeated names can still win again. Remove repeated names before starting for one chance per person. This changes the list and starts a new round.

No draw yet. Pick draws a name from the pool.

Press Space to pick without reaching for the mouse. Names are separated by line breaks and by commas, so a column pasted from a spreadsheet and a comma list both work. Editing the list rebuilds the pool and clears the draws, and Reset pool puts every name back and clears the draws without touching the list.

The spin decides nothing. The winner is drawn from crypto.getRandomValues the moment you press Pick, and the names that flick past afterwards are frames built to end on it. Watching it cannot change who came out. Each name in the pool has the same chance per entry on every draw: the index is taken by rejection sampling rather than a remainder, so no position in your list is favored. A name typed twice is two entries in the pool, which is how you give someone two chances, and the Names header counts the repeats so it is never a surprise.

Common questions

Is the pick actually fair?: Every entry has the same chance from crypto.getRandomValues, mapped by rejection sampling rather than a biased remainder. The reveal is built after the winner is chosen. Repeating a name gives that person extra entries, so equal chances per entry do not mean equal chances per person. The page cannot prove entry eligibility or certify a public raffle; completed draws are kept only in this page view.
How do I stop the same name coming up twice?: First use Remove repeated names if a person appears more than once; matching ignores case and repeated spaces and keeps the first spelling. Leave Set aside on to remove each drawn entry. Otherwise other copies of a name can still be picked. Keep in pool allows repeated independent picks, including repeats within a multi-name draw. Reset pool starts a new round with the current list.
Can I pick more than one name at a time?: Set Pick count to a whole number no larger than the remaining pool. With Set aside, the tool draws distinct entries together; identical names may still appear if they have separate tickets. For two different people, remove repeated names first and set the count to 2. To make a full random order, choose Set aside and draw the whole deduplicated pool or pick one at a time.
Can I use it for a raffle or a giveaway?: Paste your prepared eligible entries and choose the count. A repeated name is a separate ticket: two copies among ten entries give that person a 2 in 10 chance on the first pick. Set aside removes the picked ticket, not all copies belonging to that person. Copy draws copies completed results chronologically. The picker does not import social-media comments, validate entries or provide an independently verifiable draw record.
Does it work for a classroom?: Paste the class register, remove accidental repeated names and use Set aside to call on each student once. Space draws outside input fields and buttons; Enter in Pick count also draws. A changed parsed list or Reset pool clears the round, including a reveal in progress. Whitespace-only list edits keep the current round. The list and changed preferences can be remembered locally; draw history is not restored.
Is there a limit on how many names I can paste?: There is no imposed list-length limit; your device memory is the practical ceiling. Pick count cannot exceed the pool. Paste a single spreadsheet column or a comma-separated list. First and last names separated by spaces stay together; a comma in a name splits it into two entries, so use Jane Smith instead of Smith, Jane. Only fields you deliberately edit update stored preferences; opening a city or topic page alone does not replace a saved list.
Can I exclude names or run a Secret Santa gift exchange?: For an ordinary draw, delete ineligible entries before picking. That starts a new round. This picker has no giver-to-recipient exclusions, secret assignment links or email delivery. Use the linked Secret Santa Generator for one-to-one gift assignments with forbidden pairs; use Random Team Generator to form balanced groups or pairs.
Is this a wheel, a duck race or a name generator?: The reveal flicks through the supplied entries and slows onto an already selected result. It does not invent personal names, show duck or horse races, or provide a rigged winner setting. Use Spin the Wheel for a circular wheel and Random Number Generator for a numeric range. Example list offers world cities, 20 US cities, 20 European cities and 30 discussion topics.

Each entry has the same chance, from the browser's cryptographic generator. Repeated names receive extra chances. Set aside removes drawn entries; deduplicate first to avoid repeating a person.