Random Name Picker

Paste a list of names — one per line — and let the picker choose a random winner with a fun shuffle animation. Ideal for raffles, giveaways, classroom picks, and secret Santas. Turn on “remove winner” to draw multiple unique winners without repeats.

How to Use the Random Name Picker

1. Paste or type your names into the box, one name per line.
2. Tick Remove winner if you plan to draw several different winners.
3. Press Pick a Winner — names shuffle rapidly, then the winner is revealed.
4. With removal on, the winner disappears from the list, ready for the next draw.

Practical example

A teacher has 30 students and wants to pick someone to present first — fairly, with no favouritism. She pastes the class list, presses the button, and the animation cycles through names before landing on “Diana”. For a giveaway with three prizes, she ticks “remove winner” and draws three times, guaranteeing three different winners.

It also settles the classic “who goes first?” debate in game night: paste the players’ names and let the picker decide the turn order by drawing repeatedly with removal on. Because the choice is random each time, nobody can claim the process was rigged — the shuffle animation makes the draw feel transparent.

Key features and benefits

• Fair picks: winners are chosen with the Web Crypto API for genuine unpredictability.
• Shuffle animation: the rapid name cycling builds suspense before the reveal.
• Remove-winner mode: draw multiple unique winners without tracking anything yourself.
• Any list size: from a handful of friends to hundreds of entries.
• Private: names never leave your browser.
• Reusable lists: with removal off, the list stays intact for repeated draws.

Limitations

You need at least two names to draw. Blank lines are ignored. With “remove winner” on, identical names are all removed at once (they are treated as the same entry). The list is not saved — reloading the page clears it, so keep a copy elsewhere for important draws. The tool cannot verify eligibility or prevent someone entering twice under different spellings. For legally significant draws, use a certified random-draw service with an audit trail.