Random Name Picker
Type one name per line, choose how many winners you need, and draw randomly — with no name able to be drawn twice.
How to use the random name picker
- Type one name per line in the text field.
- Choose how many winners should be drawn.
- Press "Draw winner(s)" — each name can only be drawn once.
How are the winners drawn?
The name list is shuffled randomly using the Fisher-Yates algorithm, and the first names in the shuffled order become the winners. This ensures every name has exactly the same probability of being drawn, and that the same name can't be drawn more than once in the same draw (drawing without replacement).
Practical uses: prize draws, raffles within a team or club, deciding turn order in a game, or choosing who presents first.
With or without replacement
If you are drawing several names, you have to decide whether a name can be drawn twice. Drawing with replacement puts the name back in the pool after each draw, so the same person can win more than once — correct when each draw is meant to be independent, such as separate prizes at different times.
Drawing without replacement removes the name once drawn, so everyone on the list can be picked at most once. That is almost always what you want for a raffle within a group, for allocating tasks, or for drawing an order of play. Note that without replacement the probability for those remaining rises with every draw — the last name left in a list of ten has had ten chances, not one.
Frequently asked questions
Can the same name win more than once in one draw?
No, each draw is done without replacement — a name that's already been picked can't be picked again in the same round.
Is the draw fair?
Yes. The Fisher-Yates shuffle gives a mathematically proven uniform random distribution, so every name has exactly equal odds of being drawn.
What happens if I ask for more winners than there are names?
The tool draws at most as many winners as there are names in the list.