About this tool
A free random name picker that runs entirely in your browser. Paste a list of names, click Pick one, and the tool spins briefly before settling on a single random name. With "remove after picking" turned on (the default), each picked name is set aside so the next pick draws from whoever hasn't been called yet — useful for fair cold-calling, partner assignments, or anything where everyone needs a turn.
Nothing is sent anywhere. No accounts, no analytics, no telemetry. Your class list — or whatever list you're working with — stays in the browser tab and never touches a server.
How to use it
- Paste your list of names into the textarea — one per line.
- Decide whether you want Remove after picking on (everyone gets a turn) or off (each pick is independent, repeats allowed).
- Click Pick one. A short animation flips through names and settles on the chosen one.
- Click Full screen for projector or smart-board use. Press Esc to exit.
- Still to be picked shows everyone who hasn't been called yet, with a running count. It's the digital version of glancing into the cup to see which sticks are left.
- Picked names show up in Picked so far below that — handy for keeping track of who's already gone.
- Hit Reset history to clear all picks and start over (the list of names is preserved).
Names can include spaces, hyphens, apostrophes — anything. The picker treats each non-empty line as one entry. Blank lines are ignored.
Where it's useful
- Classroom cold-calling. Pull from the full roster so every student is in the rotation, not just the ones who raise their hand. With "remove after picking" on, you'll cycle through the whole class before anyone gets called twice.
- Partner or group assignments. Pick two names in a row to form a pair, four for a small group, and so on. The history makes it easy to keep track of who's been paired.
- Lining up speaking order. In a meeting, club, or family game night, pick names in order to assign turn order — no one feels singled out, and the order feels fair.
- Quick raffles or giveaways. Paste entrant names, pick a winner, done. No spreadsheet, no email tool, no signup.
- Sports team rotations. Choose who's up next, who sits out the next round, who calls the coin flip.
- Trivia and game-show hosting. Pick the next contestant, the team that gets first crack at a question, the audience member who'll come up on stage.
Why "fair random" matters in a classroom
The hardest part of running a classroom isn't picking who answers next — it's making sure that pick is genuinely fair. Students notice when the same names get called repeatedly, and the perception of bias erodes trust faster than most teachers realize. A visible, random tool fixes this in two ways:
- It removes you from the decision. If a name is picked by a tool the class can see, no one feels singled out by you personally. The randomness depersonalizes the call-out.
- It commits to the rotation. With no-repeat enabled, every student knows they will be called on before the cycle restarts. The dread of "am I next?" gets replaced with "I'll get my turn." Quieter students benefit the most.
It's a small tool, but it removes a small daily friction. Multiply that across a school year and it adds up.
Equity sticks and the equity bucket, without the popsicle sticks
Ask teachers how they handle cold-calling and you get the same mechanic described half a dozen ways: equity sticks in a cup, an equity bucket you draw from and don't refill until it's empty, a toilet-paper roll cut in half so drawn sticks have somewhere to go, a divided cup where called names move to the other side, a deck of index cards you work through as you teach.
Every one of those is the same idea: draw without putting the name back, and keep the remainder where you can see it. The point isn't grading or tracking participation — it's catching yourself calling on the same four students for twenty minutes while the rest of the room checks out. Physical sticks work because the shrinking pile is the reminder.
That's what Still to be picked is for. It's the pile, on screen, in the same place whether you're at the board or projecting from a laptop. Turn Remove after picking off and the panel goes away, because with repeats allowed everyone is always still eligible and there's no remainder to show.
Frequently asked questions
How does "remove after picking" work?
When enabled (default), each picked name is moved to the "Picked so far" list and excluded from the next pick. The tool keeps picking until every name has been called. Turn it off if you want each pick to be independent.
Is the randomness fair?
Yes. Each available name has an equal probability of being picked. Uses the browser's standard random number generator. Over many picks, you'll see roughly even distribution across all names.
Can I save my class list?
Not currently — the tool runs entirely in your browser with no accounts or storage. Keep your names in a notes app and paste them in each session. If a save feature would change how much you'd use this, let us know.
What happens if I add or remove a name mid-session?
The picker reads the textarea fresh on every pick — adding a name makes it eligible immediately. Removing a name that's already in the history is fine; the history is for your reference and doesn't affect future picks beyond the no-repeat rule.
Is my class list sent anywhere?
No. The picker runs entirely in your browser. Nothing is sent, stored, or logged.
Can I use this for things other than students?
Anywhere you have a list and need to pick one item. Cold-calls, team line-ups, meeting speaking order, raffle winners, trivia night participants, deciding which sibling does the dishes. The tool doesn't care what's in the list.