What is a random name picker?
A random name picker is the fairest way to choose one person at random from a list. You type in all the participants, press the button, and the tool selects one at random, giving every name exactly the same chance. It is the digital replacement for writing names on slips and pulling one from a bag.
It is especially useful for social media giveaways, handing out prizes, or any situation where you want no one to accuse you of favoritism.
When to use the name picker?
- Giveaways on social media with a list of participants.
- Picking a winner of a contest, raffle or event.
- Assigning chores or turns fairly within a group.
- Classroom: choosing who goes to the board without complaints.
How does our picker work?
You enter the list of names and, when you draw, the page picks one at random with the browser’s cryptographic generator (crypto.getRandomValues()). Every participant has the same probability, and the result does not depend on the order you typed them in.
The list stays in your browser and is not sent to any server, so participant data never leaves your device.
How to run a fair social media giveaway
If you're running a giveaway on Instagram, TikTok or any network, what matters most is that it's fair and that it looks fair. A good method: gather the list of participants (for example, everyone who commented), paste it here with one name per line, and record your screen while you run the draw. That gives you video proof the winner came up at random and no one touched the result. To keep it clean, set the rules in advance (dates, requirements and how many winners there are) and stick to them. If someone enters with several entries, repeat their name as many times as they have entries. And if you need backups in case the winner doesn't reply, keep drawing names and note them down in order.
Frequently asked questions
Do all names have the same probability?
Yes. The pick is fully random and does not depend on order or position in the list.
Can I draw several winners?
Yes. Press “Draw another” as many times as you have prizes: the winners stay in a numbered row in order, and nobody comes up twice. “Restart” puts every name back in the box.
Is it valid for official prize draws?
It uses the browser’s cryptographic generator, but the site is not audited or certified, so use a certified service for draws with legal value.
Are participant names stored?
The list is saved only in your browser, so it is still there when you come back to the page. Nothing is sent to our servers or third parties.
How do I avoid the same winner coming up twice?
You don’t have to do anything: whoever has already been drawn doesn’t go back in the box until you press “Restart”. That way each prize goes to a different person.
How many names can I add?
Up to 1000: it works just as well for 5 friends as for hundreds of giveaway entrants. The tool spreads the probability equally across everyone, however many there are.
Can I paste the list from somewhere else?
Yes. Copy the names from a note or a spreadsheet, one per line, and paste them all at once into the name field: they are all added together.
Can I use it as a raffle picker for prizes?
Yes. Add everyone who entered and draw one name per prize; keep drawing for the next prize, because people who already won do not come out again. To show it is fair, draw live or share your screen.
Related guides
- How to do a fair random draw — Five steps that leave nobody room to complain: clean list, rules set in advance, a truly random method, recorded proof and backup winners.
- How to run a fair Instagram giveaway — A step by step to make your giveaway clean and seen to be clean: collecting entrants, picking at random, recording it as proof and handling backups.