Random name picker

What this tool does

It draws the number of names you ask for from your list. Nobody is drawn twice in the same draw, and every entry of the list has the same chance.

The list may hold up to 500 entries of up to 100 characters each.

How to use it

1. Enter the names, one per line. You can paste a column from a spreadsheet. A single line with commas between the names works as well.
2. Tick “No repeats this round” if nobody should be picked twice until everybody has had a turn.
3. Enter how many names to pick.
4. Select “Pick names”. The names appear in the order in which they were drawn.
5. For a class, select “Full screen”. To give a colleague the same list, select “Copy share link”.

How the result is made

The tool numbers the entries of the list, shuffles these numbers with the Fisher-Yates method and takes as many as you asked for from the front. The random values for the shuffle come from the cryptographic generator of your browser, and values that would favour some entries are thrown away and drawn again.

Every line counts as one entry. If a name stands in the list twice, it has two tickets and twice the chance, and the tool tells you which names are repeated. Upper and lower case count as different: Ann and ann are two names.

Rounds without repeats

With “No repeats this round” ticked, every picked name leaves the list. The next draw only sees the names that are left, and the result tells you how many are still waiting. When the list is empty, everybody has had a turn and the tool says so.

“Start a new round” puts back the list as it was before the first name of the round was removed. If you edit the list yourself during a round, your edited list counts as the new starting point. The starting list is kept only while the page is open; after a reload, paste the full list again for a new round.

Full screen and share links

In full screen the page shows only the picker and the result, in large letters. The list field, the site header, the explanations and any advertising are taken off the page until you select “Exit full screen” or press Esc. Safari on iPhone keeps its own bars, because it does not allow full screen for web pages.

A share link carries the list, the number to pick and the no-repeats setting after the # sign of the address. Browsers do not send that part to the website, so the list does not reach this site. It is encoded, not encrypted: anyone with the link can read the names, so do not share lists that must stay private. The site allows links of up to 8,000 characters, its own precaution against apps that cut long links.

Worked example

A class has 24 students and three of them present today. Paste the 24 names, tick “No repeats this round” and enter 3. After the draw, the list holds 21 names and the result says “21 of 24 left in this round”. Next week the three presenters are drawn from these 21, and after eight weeks everybody has had a turn. Tick “Remember this list on this device” to keep the shrinking list between lessons.

In a single draw of 3 from 24, every student is picked with a chance of 3 in 24, which is 12.5%.

Saving a list

The list is not saved unless you tick “Remember this list on this device”. It is then stored in the local storage of this browser, separately for this tool, and appears again at your next visit. It is never sent to this site.

Unticking the box deletes the saved copy at once. “Clear list and saved copy” also empties the field. On a shared computer, leave the box unticked.

Common mistakes

• Two people with the same first name. Add a letter of the last name, otherwise you cannot tell who was picked.
• A name that was pasted twice by accident has a double chance. Read the note about repeated entries.
• Drawing again because the result is unwelcome. Agree on the rule before the draw.
• Saving a list of students on a shared or public computer.