How the Name Wheel Works
Paste a list, hit spin, watch it land. The name wheel turns "who's next?" into a thing people actually want to watch happen.
Every name you type becomes a colored slice. The wheel takes a few full turns, slows down, and stops with one slice under the pointer at the top. That slice wins. No spreadsheet formulas, no "I'll just pick someone," no arguments about whether it was fair.
It runs entirely in your browser. Nothing you type gets sent anywhere, so a roster of student names or client emails stays on your screen and nowhere else.
When a Wheel Beats a Plain List
A wheel isn't always the right tool. Sometimes you just need a name and you need it now. But the spin earns its keep when an audience is watching.
- Picking a raffle or giveaway winner live
- Choosing who answers next in class
- Settling who goes first in a game
- Any moment where "was that fair?" might come up
- You need a name silently and instantly
- You're choosing dozens of names at once
- The list changes every few seconds
- Nobody's watching and speed is all that matters
For the silent, instant cases, the name randomizer shuffles a whole list in one click — no animation, no waiting.
The Numbers That Matter
A few practical limits keep the spin readable and fair.
Got more than 16 names? The wheel samples evenly across your full list so the on-screen slices stay readable, but every name still has a shot. Toggle Remove winner after spin when you're drawing multiple winners and don't want repeats.
Make the Spin Land Better
Small choices change how a wheel feels to the room. Keep names short — first names or nicknames read cleanly on a slice, while long full names get clipped. Trim the list to live contenders so the odds feel honest. And lean into the pause: the slowdown is the fun part, so let it breathe before you announce.
Other Ways to Pick
The wheel is one flavor of "let chance decide." Depending on the moment, a different tool fits better.
Visual, suspenseful, made for a live audience
- Classroom picks
- Raffle draws
- Game turn order
Instant shuffle of an entire list, no animation
- Seating charts
- Team rosters
- Bulk ordering
Invents brand-new names instead of picking yours
- Characters
- Projects
- Brainstorms
If you'd rather invent a name than draw one from a list, the random name generator conjures fresh options on demand.
Common Questions
Is the name wheel actually random?
Yes. The winner is chosen with your browser's random number generator the instant you press spin, then the wheel animates to land on that slice. Every name has an equal chance, regardless of where it sits on the wheel.
Can I use more than 16 names?
Absolutely. You can paste any number of names. The wheel only draws up to 16 slices at once so the labels stay readable, but it samples evenly across your full list, so names beyond the visible slices still get picked.
How do I draw several winners without repeats?
Turn on the "Remove winner after spin" toggle. Each winner drops off the list automatically, so the next spin only includes names that haven't won yet. Hit "Reset list" to bring everyone back.