Name Wheel
Paste your names, one per line, and spin. Each winner leaves the wheel so nobody is picked twice.
No spins yet. Each pick is listed here in order.
About the name wheel
Replace the sample names with your own: a class list, a team, the people in a group chat. One name per line; you can paste a whole column from a spreadsheet.
On this wheel “Remove the winner after each spin” starts switched on. Each name leaves the wheel once it is picked, so the wheel works through the whole list without repeats. Switch it off for a draw where the same person can win again.
The Results tab keeps the order in which names were picked, which doubles as a random speaking order or batting order.
Ways to use a random name picker
- Cold-calling in class without favorites: every student is picked once before anyone is picked twice.
- Choosing who presents first, second and third in a meeting.
- Drawing a raffle winner from a list of entrants on a shared screen.
- Assigning who brings what to a potluck: spin once per dish.
How to use the wheel
- Type or paste your options, one per line. The wheel redraws as you type.
- Press Spin, click the wheel, or press Ctrl+Enter while you are in the list.
- Read the pick. Remove it from the wheel if nobody should be picked twice, then spin again.
How the pick is made
Before the wheel moves, your browser draws one slice at random with crypto.getRandomValues, the same generator browsers use for security keys. Every slice has the same chance. The spin you watch only plays that result out.
Nothing about the animation changes the outcome: not how hard you click, not how long the wheel turns, not the size of your screen. The pointer always stops inside a slice, never on a line.
Your list stays in your browser. A link you copy carries the list inside the link itself, so nothing is uploaded.
Questions about the name wheel
- How do I pick names without repeats?
- Leave “Remove the winner after each spin” switched on. A picked name is taken off the wheel when you close the result, so it cannot be picked again until you add it back.
- Can I paste names from Excel or Google Sheets?
- Yes. Copy the column of names and paste it into the list. Each cell becomes one line, and each line becomes one slice.
- How many names fit on the wheel?
- Up to 1,000. With more than about 150 names the labels are hidden because they would be too small to read; the result window still shows the name that was picked.
- Are the names I enter stored anywhere?
- Only in your own browser, so the list is still there when you come back. Nothing is uploaded. If you copy a link to the wheel, the names travel inside that link.
- How do I give one person more chances?
- Enter the name on more than one line. Each line is one slice, so a person on two lines is twice as likely to be picked as a person on one line.