Call on students in class
Paste the class list once. Spin to pick who answers next. In Elimination mode, every student gets one turn before anyone gets two. Teachers who want a ready classroom wheel can use the classroom spinner.
Random Name Picker
The ShuffleWheel random name picker chooses one name from a list you give it. Paste your names, press Spin, and the wheel stops on a winner. Every name has the same chance. It is free, and you do not need an account.
How to Pick a Random Name From a List
Four steps get you a winner.
- Add your names. Type them in, or paste a whole list with one name on each line.
- Pick a mode. Normal keeps every name on the wheel. Elimination takes each winner off.
- Press Spin. You can also click the wheel itself.
- Read the winner. The name shows in a pop up with confetti. Press Spin again for the next pick.
You need at least 2 names. The wheel holds up to 1,000.
Ways to Add Your Names
Typing every name is not needed. ShuffleWheel takes names from five places.
Paste a list. Copy a column from Excel, Google Sheets or a class roster. Paste it in the entries box, one name per line.
CSV or text file. Every filled cell becomes one name.
Excel file (.xlsx). The wheel reads the first filled cell of each row.
PDF file. Each line of text becomes a name. A scanned PDF has no text, so it will not work.
Google Sheets link. The wheel reads the first column. The sheet must be shared as "Anyone with the link".
Got a file with more than 1,000 names? The wheel adds the first 1,000. Then it tells you how many fit. Each name can be up to 120 characters long, so "Maria S. (Grade 5)" works fine.
Two tools help with long lists. Sort A to Z puts names in order, so you can spot a missing student. Shuffle mixes the order around the wheel. Shuffle only changes the look. It does not change anyone's chance.
How Do You Pick Names Without Repeats?
Turn on Elimination mode. Each winner leaves the wheel after you close the winner card. The same name cannot come up twice.
When only one name remains, the wheel shows "All done!" and a Reset wheel button. Reset brings back every name from when you turned Elimination on.
Want to keep Normal mode but drop one winner? Press Remove winner in the pop up. That name leaves the wheel, and the rest stay.
Picking several winners
Each spin picks one name. For three winners, spin three times in Elimination mode. You get three different names, in the order they were drawn.
Need a turn order? Same steps. Spin until the wheel says "All done!" The last name left goes last.
The Three Wheel Modes
Normal: every name stays on the wheel. A name can win twice in a row. Good for a quick pick or a game.
Elimination: each winner leaves the wheel. Good for raffles, turn order and calling on every student once.
Accumulation: names stay on, and the wheel counts each win. A leaderboard shows who won most. Good for a running game over a lesson or a party.
Every mode keeps a winner history of your last 50 spins, plus a spin count. Copy results puts the list on your clipboard for a record.
Is the Random Name Picker Fair?
Yes. Each name has the same chance on every spin, as long as weights are off.
Here is how a pick works. Your browser picks the winning slice first, using crypto.getRandomValues(). That is the browser's strong random source, not the weaker Math.random(). Then the wheel turns and stops on that slice. The spin is the show. The pick is already made, and nobody can steer it.
Three things can change the odds, and all three are your choice:
- Duplicate names. If "Sam" is on the wheel twice, Sam has two chances. Press Remove duplicates before a raffle to clear repeats.
- Weights. The Weights button gives a name a bigger share, from 1 to 100. Leave it off for a fair draw.
- Removed names. In Elimination mode, past winners are out. The remaining names share the odds evenly.
Getting the same name twice in Normal mode is not a fault. Each spin is a new draw, like flipping a coin twice. Use Elimination if that matters.
Ways to Use a Random Name Picker
Draw a raffle or giveaway winner
Put every entrant on the wheel. Spin in full screen, so the room can watch. Use Elimination for second and third prizes. For numbered tickets, a random number generator may be simpler than typing every name.
Set the order for turns
Who presents first? Who picks the movie? Spin in Elimination mode until the wheel is done. The draw order is your turn order.
Pick someone at work
Choose who runs the morning meeting or who takes notes. It also works for the office prize. Share the wheel link in your team chat so everyone sees the same list.
Split people into groups
Splitting the whole list into teams at once? Use the random team generator instead.
Random Name Picker or Random Name Generator?
People search for both, but they mean different things.
One kind, the random name picker, chooses from names you already have. A class list, a raffle list, a team roster.
By contrast, a random name generator often means a tool that invents new names. Think baby names, character names or fantasy names.
ShuffleWheel's tool is a picker. It works as a random name generator from a list. It does not make up names. Need new names for a story or a game? A name creation site will suit you better.
Limits to Know
- The wheel holds 2 to 1,000 names. With hundreds of names, the slices get thin, so some names may not show on the wheel. They still have the same chance.
- Each spin picks one name. There is no "pick 5 at once" button.
- It does not pull names from Instagram, Facebook or YouTube comments. Copy them into a list first.
- It cannot invent names. It only picks from your list.
Frequently Asked Questions
A random name picker chooses one name from a list you give it. On ShuffleWheel, the names sit on a wheel. You press Spin, and the wheel stops on the winner. Every name has the same chance unless you turn on weights.
Paste your list into the entries box, one name per line. Press Spin. The wheel stops on one name and shows it in a pop up. You can also import a CSV, Excel, PDF or Google Sheets file instead of pasting.
Yes. Switch to Elimination mode. Each winner leaves the wheel when you close the winner card. No name comes up twice. When one name is left, press Reset wheel to bring back the full list.
Yes, one spin at a time. The wheel picks one name per spin. For three winners, spin three times in Elimination mode. You get three different names in the order they were drawn.
Yes. Your browser picks the winning slice with crypto.getRandomValues(), a strong random source. Then the wheel turns and stops on that slice. Each name has an equal chance. Adding a name twice or turning on weights changes that.
In Normal mode, every spin is a new draw. A name can win twice in a row. A coin can land heads twice, too. Use Elimination mode, or press Remove winner, to stop repeats.
The wheel holds 2 to 1,000 names. Each name can be up to 120 characters. Import a file with more names, and the wheel adds the first 1,000. It tells you how many fit.
Yes. Copy a column and paste it into the entries box. An .xlsx file also works. The wheel reads the first filled cell of each row. A Google Sheets link reads the first column. Share the sheet with anyone who has the link first.
It is a random name generator from a list. It picks from names you add. It does not invent new names, such as baby names or fantasy character names.
Yes. Open Save and share and create a link. The link keeps your names and colors. Open the same wheel later, or send it to someone. No account is needed.
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