Random Name Picker

Paste names into the input box, one per line. The tool parses every non-empty line as a separate name and shows the count underneath the box. Tap Pick and a slot-machine-style animation flashes through your list for about a second and a half before landing on a winner. Remove Picked takes the chosen name off the list so the next pick draws from a smaller pool - useful when picking a sequence of winners (door prizes, secret-santa order, who reads next).

Pasting from Excel, Google Sheets or Numbers works the same way as pasting from a text file. The tool strips empty lines automatically and trims whitespace, so a column from your spreadsheet works without reformatting. Names are stored only in the browser tab, never sent to a server, so a class register or staff list stays private.

Teachers use this to call on students fairly without picking the same hands every lesson. The Remove Picked toggle is essential here, otherwise the same name keeps coming up because of clustering in random sequences. Office team leads use it to pick presenters or assign pair-coding partners; event hosts use it to draw door prizes from a guest list.

Where this tool wins over the [Spin the Wheel](/spin-the-wheel) approach: longer lists (50+ names) are easier to scroll than to fit on a wheel, the animation is faster, and Remove Picked stops the same person winning every prize. Where the wheel wins: visual drama on a projector or stream. Use the wheel for stage moments, the picker for repeat draws.