Random Name Picker

Paste a list of names or options, one per line, and this picks one or more at random. You can allow repeats or insist on unique winners. It's a fair, quick way to choose a giveaway winner, assign a chore or end a debate.

How to use it

1. Type your entries, one per line.
2. Set how many to pick.
3. Choose whether the same entry can come up twice.
4. Press Pick.

When it helps

• Choosing a giveaway winner.
• Deciding who goes first or who does the washing up.
• Picking a random topic or question.
• Settling a group choice.

Good to know

• Keep "never pick the same entry twice" on if you want several different winners.
• Press Pick again to draw a fresh set.
• Add each person once if you want equal chances.

How the pick is made

Entries are read line by line, with empty lines ignored. When picks must be unique, the whole list is shuffled using an unbiased algorithm and the first few entries are taken. When repeats are allowed, each pick is a fresh random choice from the full list.

The random numbers come from your browser's secure generator, so you can't predict or influence the result. Every entry has the same chance.

Worked example: a giveaway

Paste the usernames of everyone who entered, one per line, set the number of winners to 3 and keep no-repeats on. Press Pick and you get three different winners. Press again and you get a fresh draw, so decide in advance whether you'll accept the first result.

To be transparent, do the draw during a live stream or a call, so people can see the entries and the result.

Fairness tips

Make sure each person appears once. If someone's name is listed twice, they have double the chance. Remove duplicates with the Line Sorter first if your list came from several sources.

For prize draws, check the law where you live, since some countries regulate competitions and lotteries.

Alternatives and variations

For a visual draw, a spinning wheel is entertaining but works the same way. For choices between two options, a coin flip is simpler. For ordering a whole list, such as speaking order, use the Line Sorter's shuffle instead.

If you need to pick weighted entries, where some people should have more chances, list those names several times. Three entries for one person gives them three times the chance.

Documenting the draw

For competitions, take a screenshot of the entry list and the result, and note the time. If anyone questions the outcome, you have a record.

Ties and re-draws

Decide before you draw what happens if a winner can't be reached or doesn't claim a prize. A simple rule, such as drawing a replacement after a set number of days, keeps things fair and avoids arguments.

Questions