Pick modes
Choose how names leave the name picker wheel
The pick mode decides what happens to a name after the wheel lands on it. No repeats is the default on this random name picker, so everyone gets called once before anyone gets called twice.
| Mode | After a pick | Good for | Progress shown |
|---|---|---|---|
| Keep names | The name remains on the wheel and may come up again next spin. | Quick questions where anyone can be asked again | “6 of 16 have had a turn” |
| No repeats | A 3-second countdown, then the name leaves the wheel. “Keep it” cancels, and Undo brings the name back. | Giving every person exactly one turn | “9 of 24 picked” |
| Last one standing | The name is out for the round, but your list is not edited. The last name left wins. | Turn order, review games and class rewards | “5 of 24 out” |
No repeats takes names off the list itself, so the wheel shrinks with each pick. Last one standing only sets names aside for the current round. One press of Restore full class list resets either mode, and Customize can stretch the countdown anywhere from 1 to 15 seconds.
Getting started
How to use the random name picker
To pick a name, paste your list into the Entries box, choose a pick mode and press Spin. The classroom panel beside the wheel holds every setting this page adds. Teachers also call it a name wheel, a random name wheel or a name picker wheel.
Add your names
Replace the 16 sample names with your own, one per line. A column copied from a spreadsheet pastes in that shape.
Pick a mode
Choose No repeats, Keep names or Last one standing. Add a timer after each pick, or tick “Say each name aloud”, when the moment calls for it.
Spin
Tap the wheel, press Spin or hit Space. The “Your turn!” popup shows the name, and the panel adds it to the count.
Start fresh
Press Restore full class list once everyone has had a turn, or New class list to clear the wheel for a different group.
Keep names vs no repeats
How often a random name wheel repeats a name
With Keep names on, every spin is a fresh 1 in 24 draw, so repeats show up sooner than most people guess. In a class of 24, some name comes up twice within 5 spins 35.9% of the time.
On a random name picker set to Keep names, each student holds a 1 in 24 chance (4.2%) on every spin, including the student picked a moment ago. Fair odds can still feel unfair in a short lesson: one student can sit through 10 spins without a turn 65.3% of the time.
Reaching all 24 students with Keep names takes about 91 spins on average, because the last few names are slow to turn up. No repeats gets there in exactly 24. The first pick is 1 in 24, the next 1 in 23, and the last student left is certain.
Your browser's crypto.getRandomValues draws each name before the wheel starts moving, which means speed and Stop can't change it. The randomness test page runs 10,000 picks on a list of your own and charts them.
- A repeat within 3 spins12.2%
- A repeat within 5 spins35.9%
- A repeat within 8 spins73.1%
- A repeat within 10 spins88.8%
- 4.2%Each student, each spin1 in 24 with Keep names
- ≈91Spins to reach all 24On average, with Keep names
- 24Spins with No repeatsOne turn each, then the wheel is empty
Beyond the classroom
Random name picker for raffles, meetings and game turns
Anything that needs “whose turn is it?” answered fairly suits this name picker. Each card lists the settings that do the work.
Raffles and prize draws
Give each ticket its own line, so 3 tickets means 3 lines. Under Customize, set “Remove the winner automatically” to Every copy, and a winner’s other tickets leave with them.
Meetings and stand-ups
No repeats sets the speaking order. A timer of 1, 1.5 or 2 minutes after each pick keeps updates short, and the Results tab holds the order for your notes.
Chores at home
Keep names lets anyone come up again, which suits daily jobs such as dishes or walking the dog. Save the family list once and reopen it every evening.
Game turns
No repeats deals out a turn order for board games and party games. Last one standing runs a knockout round, and the final name left wins.
For numbered tickets or several winners in one draw, the raffle wheel builds the ticket list for you. For a weekly rota with a job for everyone, the chore wheel hands out every chore at once. The “Your turn!” popup title can say anything you like under Customize.
Gift swaps
Draw names for a gift swap or Secret Santa
For a gift-swap draw, put every name on the wheel, choose No repeats and spin once for each giver. When the wheel lands on the giver's own name, press “Keep it” so the name stays, close the popup and spin again.
The respin matters more than it seems. With 8 people, a plain draw from a hat leaves at least one person holding their own name 63.2% of the time. That figure barely moves as the group grows.
Respinning fixes most of it, but the last giver can still end up with only their own name left. That happens 9% of the time with 8 people. If it does, press Restore full class list and run the draw again.
The wheel, the Picked so far list and the Results tab all show every name drawn, in order. That suits an open swap where everyone sees who buys for whom. For a secret draw, let one organizer run the wheel alone and message each giver their name.
| People | Hat draw: someone gets their own name | Wheel with respins: last giver stuck |
|---|---|---|
| 4 people | 62.5% | 13.9% |
| 5 people | 63.3% | 13.2% |
| 6 people | 63.2% | 11.3% |
| 8 people | 63.2% | 9% |
| 10 people | 63.2% | 7.6% |
| 12 people | 63.2% | 6.5% |
In class
Cold-calling with the name picker
For cold-calling, use No repeats so every student is picked once before anyone is picked twice. The class watches the wheel choose, so nobody can claim the teacher always calls the same few.
| Use | Pick mode | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Cold-calling during a lesson | No repeats | Turn on the timer for think time. |
| Presentation order | No repeats | Copy the order from the Results tab. |
| Line leader or classroom jobs | Keep names | Keep one named save per class with Save. |
| Review games and quizzes | Keep names | Read names aloud so students hear their turn. |
| A class reward draw | Last one standing | Spin until one name is left. |
Habits that make cold-calling calmer
- Ask first, then spin. The whole class thinks about the answer, not only the student who gets picked.
- Give think time. Set the timer after each pick to 15 or 30 seconds before the student answers.
- Allow a pass. Press “Keep it” in the popup so the name stays on the wheel and comes up again later.
The guide to picking students fairly in class covers routines for the whole school year. To split the whole class into groups in one step, use the random team generator.
Classroom panel
Classroom mode on the name picker
The classroom panel adds 6 tools to the random name picker, and none of them needs an account. Everything else from the main spin the wheel tool, from themes to share links, works here too.
| Feature | What it does |
|---|---|
| Progress count | Shows how many people have been picked, with a progress bar and the latest 60 names in pick order. |
| Restore full class list | Puts every picked name back in its original place and sets the count to zero. |
| Timer after each pick | Starts a countdown of 10 seconds to 5 minutes when the result popup closes. |
| Say each name aloud | Reads the picked name with your browser's speech voices, choosing one on your device when there is one. |
| Import class list | Loads names from CSV, TSV, Excel (.xlsx) or plain text files, with Undo. |
| New class list | Clears the wheel and puts the cursor in the Entries box, ready for a paste. |
- 3Pick modesKeep names, No repeats, Last one standing
- 10,000Names per wheelA whole grade fits on one wheel
- 10 s–5 minTimer after each pick10 settings to choose from
The progress count is saved in your browser, so reloading the page mid-lesson keeps it. The Results tab keeps each pick with its time, ready to copy or export as CSV.
Big screen
Show the random name picker on a projector or whiteboard
Full screen fills the projector with the wheel and its Spin button, and nothing else. Press Full screen in the toolbar, and Esc to leave. On iPhone, where a page can't go full screen, the wheel stretches to fill the browser window instead.
The classroom panel hides in full screen, so choose the pick mode before you start. The result popup still appears, and the timer after each pick floats in the bottom corner. On an interactive whiteboard, tap the wheel to spin.
To run the wheel inside a lesson deck, see how to add a wheel to Google Slides or PowerPoint. It runs in current browsers on Chromebooks, iPads, Windows, Mac and Android, with nothing to install.
Before the lesson starts
Load the class list, choose the mode, set the timer and press Full screen. One tap on the board then does the rest, and students see each name as it lands.
Class lists
Import a name list from a spreadsheet
To load names into the random name picker, press Import class list and choose a spreadsheet or text file. CSV, TSV, Excel (.xlsx) and plain text all work. The names replace the wheel, and Undo in the pop-up message restores the old list.
Header rows
A first row headed Name, Student, Participant or Entrant is skipped, and so are their plurals. Other headings, such as First name, import as a name, so rename or delete that row.
Extra columns
A column headed weight or tickets carries over as weights, handy for a raffle. A text file has no header row, so every line becomes a name.
Several groups
Export from Google Sheets with File, then Download, as .csv or .xlsx. Press Save in the toolbar to keep a named copy of each class or team in this browser.
Privacy
Where the names you enter are stored
Names you type into the random name picker stay in your browser on this device and are never uploaded to Wheel Spinning. The site has no accounts. Autosave, named saves and the progress count use your browser's own storage, and clearing this site's data removes them.
Points that matter in a school
- Share links carry the names. The list is packed into the link itself, so share it only with people who may see the class list.
- Read aloud can use online voices. Some browser voices come from a remote speech service, as MDN's localService reference explains. Leave read aloud off when names must stay on the device.
- First names are enough. Use first names, nicknames or initials when your school asks for less detail.
- Follow your school's rules for online tools that hold student names.
FAQ
Random name picker FAQ
Is this random name picker free?
Yes. Every mode and option is free, with no account, no sign-up and no limit on spins.
Can the name picker avoid picking the same person twice?
Yes. Choose No repeats, and each picked name leaves the wheel until you press Restore full class list.
How many names can the wheel hold?
Up to 10,000 names on one wheel, so a whole grade, a staff list or a big raffle fits.
Do I have to type my class list again every lesson?
No. The wheel saves itself in this browser. Press Save to keep a named list for each class, and open it from Save next time.
Can the random name picker read names aloud?
Yes, in browsers that support speech. Tick “Say each name aloud” in the classroom panel and turn your speakers on.
Can I pick 2 or more names at once?
No, each spin picks one name. For 3 names, spin 3 times with No repeats on. For whole groups, the team generator splits everyone at once.
Can I use it for a raffle with several tickets per person?
Yes. Put each ticket on its own line, then set “Remove the winner automatically” to Every copy in Customize. A winner’s other tickets then leave the wheel too.
Does the progress count survive a page reload?
Yes. The count and the Picked so far list are stored in this browser until you restore the class or clear the site’s data.
Does the name wheel work on Chromebooks and iPads?
Yes. It runs in current browsers on Chromebooks, iPads, Windows, Mac and Android, with nothing to install.
Last updated · Written and tested by Melissa T. Brown