Random Name Picker

How to Use

Paste or type names into the input area, one per line (commas and semicolons also work as separators). Choose how many to pick and whether repeats are allowed, then press "Pick again" whenever you want a fresh selection. The picks update automatically as you edit the list, and the current selection is saved in the URL so you can share it.

Why a Random Picker

A random picker removes bias from selection. When you need to choose fairly — a student to answer a question, a winner for a giveaway, a team order for a game — picking by hand tends to favor names you remember or see first. A uniform random picker gives every name an equal chance, and the selection is easy to justify because the process is mechanical and repeatable.

How Picking Works

Without repeats, the tool performs a random sample without replacement: each name can appear at most once in the result, and the number of picks is capped at the list size. With repeats enabled, the tool picks independently each round, so the same name can appear multiple times — useful for dice-style or weighted-style scenarios. Randomness comes from the browser's built-in `Math.random`, which is uniform across the available items.

Common Use Cases

• Teachers picking students for cold calls, group leaders, or presentation order.
• Social media giveaways, raffles, and contest winner selection.
• Splitting a group into teams or assigning roles fairly.
• Deciding order of play for games, tournaments, or code reviews.
• Choosing restaurants, movies, or activities from a shortlist when the group can't decide.

Tips

• Press "Pick again" multiple times if the first result feels off — every new draw is independent.
• Enable repeats when you want a sample *with* replacement (e.g. picking a random name for each of 10 rounds).
• Disable repeats to split a group into unique picks (e.g. draft order).
• Names can be any text — email addresses, product IDs, ticket numbers, or items — not just personal names.
• The list and settings are saved in the URL, so you can bookmark or share the exact picker you set up.

Privacy

All random selection happens in your browser. The names you enter are never sent to any server or stored anywhere.