Random Name Picker
Paste a list of names and pick a random winner.
Remaining: 0 names
Pick History
This tool is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional financial, medical, legal, or engineering advice. See Terms of Service.
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Request a ToolHow to Use the Random Name Picker
Type or paste names into the text box, one per line, then click Pick a Name. The tool randomly selects one name from the list.
- Enter names: Type each name on its own line. You can paste a list directly from Excel, Google Sheets, or any text editor. Blank lines are ignored.
- No-repeat mode: Check "Remove picked names" to eliminate each winner from the pool. Pick again and again until only one name remains, perfect for ranking all participants in a giveaway.
- History: All picks are shown in the history list below the result, with the most recent pick highlighted. This provides a transparent record for giveaways.
About Random Name Picking
This tool is widely used for classroom activities, office giveaways, social media contests, event drawings, assigning tasks randomly, and any situation where an unbiased random selection from a list is needed. Every name has exactly the same probability of being selected on each pick. The selection is made before any animation or display, ensuring fairness.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I run a fair giveaway with this tool?
Collect all participant names (one per line), paste them into the box, enable "Remove picked names" if you are selecting multiple winners, then click Pick a Name in front of your audience or record a video of the selection. The pick history provides a transparent log. For maximum fairness in public giveaways, consider taking a screenshot of the full name list before picking to prove all entries were included.
Can I have duplicate names in the list?
Yes. If you want some names to have a higher probability of being selected (for example, someone who entered twice gets two lines), you can include their name multiple times. Each line is treated as a separate entry, so a name that appears 3 times has 3x the probability of being picked compared to names that appear once.
How many names can I add?
There is no hard limit. The textarea can hold thousands of names. The picker processes all non-empty lines as entries. For very large lists (hundreds of names), the tool works just as well as for small lists. The pick itself is instant regardless of list size.
Is the selection truly random?
The selection uses Math.random() which produces a uniform pseudo-random distribution. Each name has exactly a 1/N probability of being selected, where N is the current number of names in the list. The selection is made computationally before the result is displayed, so the display does not affect the outcome.