Random Name Picker

How It Works

This picker shuffles your whole list with your browser's secure random source, crypto.getRandomValues(), then takes the winners from the top of the shuffled list. Because the shuffle is fair, every name has exactly the same chance of being picked — the first name on your list is no more likely to win than the last. Winners are never repeated within a single draw, so one person cannot win twice from the same pick.

Everything happens in your browser. Your list is never uploaded anywhere, which matters when the names are students, employees, or giveaway entrants who trusted you with their details. You can run as many draws as you like, and each draw is a fresh shuffle.

Worked Example

A teacher has 24 students and needs 3 volunteers for a class demo. She pastes the 24 names, sets the number of winners to 3, and clicks Pick Winners. One draw gave Maya, Jordan and Alex — three different students, each chosen fairly from the full list. Running the draw again would shuffle the list fresh and could pick three completely different students.

How to Use This Tool

Paste your names into the box, one per line, then set how many winners you want and click Pick Winners. Blank lines are ignored, so you can paste straight from a spreadsheet or a chat message without tidying it up first. If you ask for more winners than there are names, the tool tells you to add more names or pick fewer winners.

Tips and Practical Advice

For a giveaway, paste the entrants exactly once each — duplicates in your list give that person a double chance, which is only fair if you mean it. For classroom picks, run one draw per task instead of reusing the same winners, so everyone gets a turn over time. And when the draw matters, share your screen or print the result: the winners are displayed clearly, so the whole room can see the draw was fair.