Random Name Picker

About this tool

This name picker chooses a random winner from a list you paste in, with a slot-machine animation, optional voice announcement, and a remove-after-pick mode for drawing multiple winners without repeats. Paste one name per line, press Pick (or the space bar), and the wheel does the rest — fully in your browser.

When to use it

• Drawing a giveaway or raffle winner in front of an audience, where the animation makes the pick feel transparent and fun.
• Cold-calling fairly in a classroom — remove-after-pick guarantees everyone gets picked exactly once per round.
• Assigning an unpopular task on a team when nobody volunteers.

Worked example

Paste your 24 students, enable both "Remove after picking" and "Announce winner," and press space each time you need someone. The picked name is spoken aloud and drops off the list, so the pool shrinks from 24 to 23 to 22 — no one can be called twice until you reset. For a raffle with three prizes, the same setup draws three distinct winners in three presses.

Frequently asked questions

Is the pick actually random?

Yes — each pick is a uniform random selection over the current list, so every remaining name has an equal chance. The slot-machine animation is presentation; the winner is chosen randomly before the reel stops.

Can the same person win twice?

By default a name stays in the list and could be picked again. Enable "Remove after picking" to eliminate winners from subsequent draws.

How many names can I paste?

Hundreds work fine — the list is just text in your browser. For very large raffles, paste directly from a spreadsheet column: one name per line is the only format requirement.

Does the voice announcement work everywhere?

It uses your browser's built-in speech synthesis, which is supported in all modern browsers. If you hear nothing, check that your device isn't muted and that the Announce toggle is on.