Random Name Picker
Spin the wheel or light up a name. Fair, quick and big enough for the back of the room.
Keyboard shortcuts
- Space
- Pick a name, or skip to the answer
- U
- Undo the last pick
- Ctrl Z
- Undo the last pick
- F
- Full screen on or off
- Esc
- Skip to the answer
- ?
- Keyboard shortcuts
Picked so far
Names you pick show up here, newest first.
Your class
Your class lists stay in this browser. They are never sent to Brainlag or anyone else.
This browser is not letting the page save, so your list lasts until you close the tab. Download it to keep it.
About this tool
This random name picker is made for lessons. Paste your class list once and it stays in this browser, ready for next time. Choose a spinning wheel or spotlight tiles, pick one name or several, and turn on no repeats so nobody is picked twice until everyone has had a turn. Every pick is fair: the names are shuffled with your device's secure random numbers, not a guess. The names never leave your computer, so it is safe to use with a class of children.
Tips
- Picked the wrong name or someone is away? Undo puts that name back in the round.
- Pick 2 to choose a pair for a demonstration, or 3 for a quick panel.
- More than 30 names? The tiles show everyone at once, so nobody wonders whether they were left off.
FAQ
- Is the name picker really random?
- Yes. It uses your browser's cryptographic random numbers (crypto.getRandomValues) and a Fisher-Yates shuffle, the standard fair method, so every name in the round has exactly the same chance. Nothing is weighted.
- Where are my class lists saved?
- Only in this browser, on this device. They are never sent to Brainlag or anyone else, which matters when the names are children's. To move a list to another computer, download it as a CSV or JSON file and import it there.
- How do I stop the same student being picked twice?
- Leave "No repeats until everyone has been picked" switched on. The counter at the top shows how many have had a turn, and a new round starts by itself once everyone has been picked. New round starts one early.
- Can I show it on the classroom projector?
- Yes. Press the full-screen button or F. The names grow to fill the screen, and the wheel and the result are sized for the back of the room.
- Does it work with animations turned off?
- Yes. If your device is set to reduce motion, the wheel does not spin: the picked name appears straight away with a calm highlight. Sound is off unless you switch it on.