Random Name Picker

Type one name per line in the list box, or copy a column of names from Excel or Google Sheets and paste it. Each line is read as one person as is — commas, spaces, numbers and headers are never guessed at, split or removed (“Emma Smith” and “Smith, John” are each one person). If you paste lines separated by commas, an Excel table (tab-separated) or lines starting with numbers, buttons appear below the list so you can choose: “Split at , and ; — one name each”, “Read as a table (choose columns)” or “Remove leading numbers” (only Excel tables can be read as a table). When splitting, items that are only a number (the 1 in “1, Emma”) aren't read as people. Names separated only by spaces are read as one person, so put one name per line. When reading as a table, check the name columns in “How to read the table” (one column: one person per row; two or more: each column is read separately; “Join the 2 columns into one name (last and first)” makes a last-name and first-name column one person). Your choice is saved with the list, and “Read one name per line” takes you back at any time. Replacing the whole list goes back to one name per line. If you'd rather not type names, “Use numbers instead” creates No. 1 to No. 40 and so on. If there are title rows above the table, choose the header in “Header row” under “How to read the table”; rows above it aren't read.

Yes. With “Remove picked names (no repeats)” on, nobody comes up again until you reset, and you'll see when everyone has been picked. Turn it off to pick from the whole list every time (a group never repeats within one pick).

To leave someone out for now, make their item start with # (e.g. #Emma Smith). An item is a line when there's one name per line, one of the split names when names listed on a line are split (“Liam, #Emma, Noah” leaves out only Emma), and one cell when reading as a table. In a table, if a cell that isn't in a name column (number, notes) starts with #, that row's person is left out. Anything after # or // following a name is a reason or note and isn't read as a name (to the end of the line with one name per line or when splitting, to the end of the cell in a table; e.g. Emma Smith // nurse's office, Liam Jones # left early — a person with a # reason is left out; names written after it are pointed out below the list). People left out disappear from the big display and the picks, and are listed below the list. Delete the # next class to bring them back. Someone already picked and then left out with # stays picked (in no-repeat mode they won't come up until you reset). Writing “Emma Smith absent” without # doesn't leave anyone out; it's read as a name.

It uses the browser's cryptographic random numbers (crypto.getRandomValues) with rejection sampling, so every name still in the draw has exactly the same chance. The spin is only for show — the result is decided the moment you press the button.

Press “Fullscreen” (or F), then “Hide buttons (Zen mode)”. Only the names, the history and faint “Pick” and “Undo” buttons stay. Press Space or Enter to pick and U to undo. To draw numbers instead of names, use the draw mode of the Random Number Generator. Open the Random Number Generator

No. The list and the pick history stay in this browser, and names are not sent to analytics. To hand the list to a colleague, turn on “Include the name list in the link” and copy the link — the names live only inside the URL and are not sent to the shortener.