Think time first
Ask the question, count to five in your head, then press Pick. Everyone prepares an answer because anyone could be next.
No repeats until everyone has had a turn
Random Name Picker
Pick a random student fairly. Paste your class list, draw one or several names, and skip repeats until everyone has had a turn. Free, no sign-up.
- No sign-up
- Names stay in your browser
- Projector ready, no ads there
Class list
24 names · 24 waiting
Paste a column from a spreadsheet; blank lines are skipped. Your list and who has had a turn stay in this browser.
Same class tomorrow? Save the list in this browser, or open it on any device with a free account (adults 18+).
Names stay in this browser. Nothing is uploaded unless you save to an account.
Names per pick
Repeats
Show names as
More options
Skips the shuffle animation.
Ready when you are
Press Pick
Your class
Picked names are ticked until the next roundTap a name to skip it for now (absent today)
This list, who has had a turn and the history are remembered in this browser only.
History · 0
How it works
How to pick a random name
- Paste your class list
One name per line, straight from a spreadsheet or your gradebook, up to 1,000 names. Or open a list you saved.
- Choose how many and whether names repeat
Pick one name or several at once. No repeats keeps going until everyone has had a turn.
- Press Pick or the Space bar
The names shuffle, then the picked student appears big. The card gets a tick so the class can see who has gone.
- Put it on the board
Present shows giant names full screen with no ads. Space picks the next student.
Calling on students
Ways to use a name picker in class
Random calling keeps everyone thinking, and fair rounds keep it from feeling like a trap.
Turn and talk, then pick
Let partners rehearse for a minute before you pick. The student called shares their pair's idea, which takes the pressure off.
Presentation order
Press Line up everyone for a numbered running order, or use the presentation order generator.
Jobs and helpers
Pick line leaders, paper passers or the day's helper with No repeats, so every student gets a job before anyone has two.
How the randomness works
Each pick shuffles the students still waiting with a Fisher–Yates shuffle driven by your browser’s crypto.getRandomValues(), with rejection sampling so no position is favoured. The first names of the shuffle are your picks.
With No repeats, picked students sit out until the round ends, so over a round every student is picked exactly once. When you ask for more names than are left, the rest of the round goes first and a fresh round fills the draw.
- Generator
- Web Crypto, in your browser
- Shuffle
- Fisher–Yates, no modulo bias
- No repeats
- Everyone once per round, then a new round
- Your list
- Stays on this device unless you save it
Questions teachers ask
How do I pick a random name without repeats?
Keep No repeats on (it is the default). Each name is picked once, ticked on the cards, and skipped until everyone in the class has had a turn; then a new round starts by itself. Press New round any time to put everyone back in.
Can I pick more than one name at a time?
Yes. Set Names per pick to 2, 3 or more and press Pick: you get that many different names at once, never the same person twice in one draw. Line up everyone puts the whole class in a random numbered order, for presentations or turns.
How do I call on students randomly but fairly?
Ask the question first, give everyone thinking time, then pick. With No repeats, every student gets a turn before anyone is called twice, and the ticked cards show the class it is fair. Mark absent students as away so the picker skips them without deleting them.
Can I skip students who are absent today?
Yes. Tap a name on the cards to skip it for now: it is marked Away and never picked. Tap it again when the student is back. Away students don't count against the round.
Is the name picker really random?
Yes. Every pick uses your browser's cryptographic random number generator (crypto.getRandomValues) with a Fisher–Yates shuffle, so each student waiting for a turn is equally likely. Nobody can set the result in advance, and there are no hidden weights.
Is it safe to type my students' names?
Your list stays in this browser and is never uploaded unless you choose to save it to an account. There are no student accounts; accounts are for adults (18+). Use Clear to remove the list from this device.
Can I show the picked name on a projector?
Yes. Press Present or the F key for a full-screen view with giant names and no ads. Press Space to pick the next name and Esc to go back.