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Random Name Picker

Paste a list of names, one per line, and draw one or more random winners using the same secure randomness as the password generator.

How Random Picker works

The Random Picker draws one or more winners from a list of names, entries or tickets you paste in, one per line. Choose how many winners to draw, whether the same entry can win more than once (with replacement), and whether to remove duplicate lines before drawing. Selection uses the Web Crypto API's cryptographically secure random number generator, the same entropy source as the password generator on this site, rather than JavaScript's plain Math.random.

The whole draw runs in your browser tab: the list of names, prize entries or student rosters you paste in is never uploaded, logged or sent to any server.

Written by Bastien Sulyan

How to use Random Picker, step by step

  1. Paste or type one entry per line into the list.
  2. Set how many winners to draw.
  3. Optionally enable Remove duplicate entries first or Allow repeats.
  4. Press Draw to reveal the winners, then copy the result to your clipboard.

Common use cases

  • Picking a student at random for a classroom presentation or a quick quiz.
  • Selecting one or several winners for a raffle or a social-media giveaway.
  • Assigning people to a random workshop group or a random speaking order.
  • Drawing a random tie-breaker order among a shortlist of entries.

Frequently asked questions

Does the Random Picker send my list of names to a server?

No. Parsing the list and drawing winners both happen locally in your browser tab using plain JavaScript. Names, prize entries or a class roster you paste in are never uploaded, logged or transmitted anywhere.

How random is the draw, exactly?

It uses the browser's Web Crypto API (crypto.getRandomValues), a cryptographically secure pseudo-random number generator, to shuffle the list or pick indices. This is the same entropy source used by the password generator on this site, and is a stronger guarantee than JavaScript's Math.random, which is not designed for unpredictability.

What is the difference between drawing with and without replacement?

Without replacement (the default), each entry can win at most once: the tool shuffles the whole list and takes the first N names, so a draw of every entry is equivalent to a full shuffle. With replacement enabled, each draw is independent and the same entry can be picked again, which is useful for something like assigning a random prize tier per ticket where repeats are expected.

What does "remove duplicate entries" do?

It de-duplicates the parsed list before drawing, keeping the first occurrence of each entry and comparing names exactly as typed (case-sensitive, so "Alice" and "alice" count as different entries unless you make the casing consistent yourself).

Is there a limit on how many winners I can draw at once?

Yes, 500 per draw. The cap exists so a pathologically large input cannot freeze the browser tab; for a normal raffle, classroom list or giveaway this limit is rarely a practical constraint.

How is this different from the Random Number Generator tool?

The Random Number Generator draws random integers within a numeric range you set. The Random Picker draws from a custom text list of names, tickets or any other entries you paste in, which is the tool to use when the thing being picked is not a plain number.

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