What it does
Paste a list of names and this tool picks one, several or shuffles the whole lot into a random order. Handy for classroom picks, secret-santa order, raffle draws and any other time you want a fair choice without asking somebody to "think of a number".
How it works
The list you type is split into names (one per line or comma-separated), trimmed of whitespace, and any blank entries are dropped. From there the tool does one of two things:
- Pick N — if duplicates are off, the tool shuffles a copy of your list with a Fisher–Yates swap and takes the first N. That guarantees every pick is distinct and every position in the list is equally likely to be picked. Turn duplicates on and each pick is an independent uniform draw — the same name can come up more than once.
- Shuffle all — the whole list comes back in a random order. Useful for setting a speaking order or a draw sequence.
The randomness comes from crypto.getRandomValues, the browser's cryptographically secure random-number generator — the same source used to generate encryption keys. To keep every name equally likely, the code uses rejection sampling to avoid the "modulo bias" that a naïve rand % n would introduce.
Worked example
Paste the list Alice, Bob, Carol, Dave, Eve and ask to Pick 3 with duplicates off. The tool shuffles a copy of the 5-name list with Fisher–Yates and returns the first 3. Every combination of 3 names has an equal chance — 3/5 × 2/4 × 1/3 = 1/10 for any specific unordered set — and no name appears twice. Switch to Shuffle all and you get all 5 names in a random order — a fair speaking rota, for example.
Common uses
- Classroom picks. Random student for the next question, or a random small group.
- Secret Santa order. Shuffle the list to set the gift-giving sequence.
- Raffle draws. Number your entries or paste names, pick winners with duplicates off so nobody wins twice.
- Meeting order. Fair speaking order without playing favourites.
- Splitting into teams. Shuffle the roster and take the first half.
Frequently asked
Can the tool bias against certain names?
No. Every name in your list has an equal probability of appearing at every position. Longer names, awkward spellings, and diacritics make no difference — the tool never looks at the letters, only the positions.
Where does the randomness come from?
The browser's crypto.getRandomValues API, seeded from the operating system's entropy pool. That is a cryptographically secure random generator, and it costs almost nothing to use, so it's the right default even for something as low-stakes as picking a name.
Does the tool remember my list?
No. Your list stays on the page you have open, and nothing is uploaded or stored between visits. Refresh and you'll start with the default example list again.
What if my list uses commas within names?
Put one name per line. The tool auto-detects: if any newline is present in the pasted text it splits on newlines and ignores commas; if not, it splits on commas.
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