Random name picker

Calling on people without favorites

The picker works from your list rather than a wheel: paste the names once, then each press calls the next person. With no repeats on, the people already picked wait until the whole room has had a turn, and the counter under the name shows how many are left, so students can see the round is fair. Mark anyone absent as away and the picker skips them without you editing the list.

For a quick check of understanding, pick three names and ask each one the same question. For reading aloud, keep picking one at a time down the round. The history keeps the order with the time, and the CSV download gives you a record for your gradebook notes.

At a game table it chooses who reads the next card, who judges this round, or who starts. When you want the spinning wheel for the drama of it, "Put this list on the wheel" opens the same names on the spin the wheel page. To split the list into groups, paste it into the team generator.

How a name is chosen

On each press, the page takes the people who are here and, with no repeats on, have not been picked this round. Your browser's cryptographic random source chooses one of them, with every person equally likely; numbers that would favor the start of the list are thrown away and drawn again. For several names, it repeats that draw from whoever is left, so nobody appears twice in one pick. Two people with the same name are kept apart as separate entries.

Undo puts the last pick back into the round as if it never happened, which helps when you pressed the button by accident. "Start a new round" clears the round without touching the history.

Name picker questions

Does everyone get a turn before anyone goes twice?

Yes, with "No repeats until everyone has had a turn" on (it starts on). Each pick comes from the people still waiting in this round. When the last person has been picked, the round counter resets and everyone is back in for the next one.

How do I leave out someone who is absent?

Tap their name in the class list so it shows "away". They are skipped by every pick and do not count toward the round. Tap again when they are back, or press "Everyone is here" to bring the whole list back at once.

Can I pick a group of names at once?

Yes. Set "How many" and press Pick. Nobody appears twice in the same pick. If the round runs out part way through, the rest come from a fresh round, still without repeating anyone already in that pick.

Can I keep lists for more than one class?

Yes. Name the list and press Save. Saved lists, who is away, the round and the pick history stay in this browser on this device only, and are gone if you clear your browser data. Nothing is sent to us.

Is every name equally likely?

Every person still waiting has the same chance on each pick. The draw uses your browser's cryptographic random source with no remainder bias. The flicker of names before the reveal is only for show; the name was already chosen.