Random Name Picker
Pick a name fairly for classrooms, meetings, games and turn-taking.
Your options
A fair draw, every time
Whether you're picking a student to answer, drawing a giveaway winner, or choosing who presents first, the pick has to be — and has to look — fair. Everyone sees the spin, everyone sees where it lands, and nobody can accuse anyone of playing favourites.
That visible fairness is why teachers, team leads and raffle hosts reach for the same tool. A process nobody controls is a process nobody can resent.
Pure randomness vs. fair rotation
- Pure random selection can pick the same person three times in ten minutes while someone else waits a fortnight. That's randomness working correctly and failing you.
- For classrooms and rotas, remove each name once drawn so everyone gets a turn before anyone repeats, then reset the list.
- For a raffle where every ticket should have an equal chance on every draw, leave all names in.
- Put it on a projector so the whole room watches the draw happen.
Frequently asked questions
Do the names I enter get uploaded?
No. Entries stay in this browser and are never sent to a server, which is why it's safe to use with a real class roster.
How many names can I add?
As many as your group has — the wheel resizes its slices to fit. Very large lists are easier to read split into rounds.
Can the same person be drawn twice?
Yes, unless you remove them after they're picked. Which behaviour is 'fair' depends on whether you want even coverage or independent draws.
Who it's for
Cold-calling in class
Ask the question first, then spin. The pause before the name appears is where every student thinks through the answer — that's the actual benefit.
Presentation order
Nobody argues with a wheel about going first, and it takes the negotiation out of a task nobody wants.
Forming pairs and groups
Spin twice for a pair, or repeatedly to build teams. Removes the social pain of picking sides.
Rotating meeting duties
Who runs the stand-up, who takes notes, who presents at retro. Stops the same person always volunteering.
Prize draws and raffles
Put it on a projector so the room watches the draw. Visible fairness is the whole point.
Classroom and household jobs
Line leader, equipment monitor, washing up. Children accept a wheel far more readily than a parent's decision.
Running a fair classroom round
Enter the class list once. Leave "remove each name once picked" switched on, ask your question aloud, wait, then spin. When a name comes up, give five to seven seconds of silence before expecting an answer — it feels endless and it dramatically improves what you get back.
By the end of the lesson the list has drained, which means every student has spoken. Reset and the next lesson starts fresh. That's the difference between random selection and fair rotation, and it's why the toggle exists.
More questions
Should I use this with an anxious student?
With care. For a student who genuinely dreads speaking, random selection can backfire. Common adaptations: tell them privately they can pass any time, give them the question in advance, or let them answer on a whiteboard. Fairness and identical treatment aren't the same thing.
Is it suitable for a real prize draw?
For anything with meaningful stakes, spin in front of everyone rather than reporting a result afterwards, and keep the entry list visible on screen throughout.