Random Name Picker

How it works

Type the participants in the left box, one name per line; you can paste a spreadsheet column or a list from a group chat as it is. Example: 48 people entered your Instagram giveaway, and you want 3 winners plus 3 alternates in case a winner never replies. Paste the list, keep "Pick winners", type 3 and set alternates to Yes; you get 3 winners and 3 alternates, with nobody repeated. If a name was entered twice it counts once, and the note under the result names the duplicates, so nobody gets two chances. To split a class of 25 into 4 groups, choose "Split into teams" and type 4: the groups have 7, 6, 6 and 6 people. Every change of setting is a new draw, so copy or download the result right away.

This tool is also known as random name picker, random team generator, giveaway winner picker, pick a name from a list, random group generator.

What is Random draw?

A random draw chooses one or more people from a group in a way that gives everyone the same chance. It is the digital version of pulling slips out of a hat: a drawn name is not put back, so nobody can be picked twice. In a fair draw, your position on the list, the length of your name or the order of entry must not matter; this tool shuffles the whole list to guarantee that.

What is SHA-256 fingerprint?

A SHA-256 fingerprint (hash) is a 64-character hexadecimal value computed from a piece of text. The same text always gives the same fingerprint; changing one letter changes it completely, and the text cannot be recovered from it. The fingerprint printed under the draw belongs to the cleaned-up list of names, so participants who saw the list beforehand can check that the draw used exactly that list.

What is the difference between a name picker and a random number generator?

A random number generator works with numbers: you give participants numbers in advance, draw between 1 and 48 and then look up who owns the number. A name picker works with the names directly: paste the list and the winner's name comes out, with no matching step where mistakes can creep in. Splitting teams and shuffling an order also need a list of names, so they live here. For lotteries or dice, where the number itself matters, the random number generator is the right tool.

How can you show the draw was fair?

The tool orders the names with the browser's cryptographic random source and a Fisher-Yates shuffle, a method in which every possible order is equally likely. Being first or last on the list does not change anyone's chances.

Under the result you get the time of the draw and the SHA-256 fingerprint of the list. The fingerprint is a 64-character value computed from the names: add or remove a single letter and it changes completely. If you share the list with participants before the draw, the fingerprint in the result shows the same list was used.

Limit: the draw runs on your device and the tool stores nothing. Pressing again gives a new result, so a draw nobody watched cannot be proven by the tool alone. For a public giveaway, draw while sharing your screen or recording it. This tool does not replace draws that legally require a notary or official supervision.

Which option for which situation?

Pick winners: social media giveaways, office prizes, chores or shifts. Alternates are decided in advance in case a winner cannot be reached, and they never overlap with the winners.

Split into teams: pickup games, group work in class, tournament brackets. People are shuffled and then dealt out in turn; 10 people in 3 teams become 4, 3 and 3.

Shuffle the order: presentations, speaking turns, playing order. The whole list comes back in a new, numbered order.

• Empty lines are ignored
• The same name counts once, regardless of upper and lower case
• Names are shuffled on your device and sent nowhere

Frequently asked questions

How do I pick a random name from a list?

Paste the names into the left box, one per line, keep "Pick winners" and the number on 1. The winner appears on the right immediately, followed by the draw time and the list's fingerprint. Press "Copy output" to share it.

Can I use it for an Instagram giveaway?

Yes, but the tool does not connect to Instagram or read comments itself. Export or copy the participants' usernames into a list and paste it here. If one person commented several times and everyone gets only one entry, duplicate names already count once, and the note shows which ones were repeated.

Why are the teams not the same size?

If the number of people is not a multiple of the number of teams, some teams get one extra person; the tool keeps the difference to one at most. 25 people in 4 teams become 7, 6, 6 and 6. For perfectly equal teams, make the number of people a multiple of the number of teams.

Can the result be verified later?

Pasting the same list again gives the same SHA-256 fingerprint, which shows the list was not changed. The winners themselves are drawn fresh each time and are not stored. To prove the result, run the draw on a live stream or record your screen.