Wheel of Names
Paste your names, spin the wheel, and let it pick a fair random winner — then take the winner off and spin again for the next draw.
Spin a wheel of your own names.
Press spin to play — no sign-up, nothing to install.
How to use Wheel of Names
- Type or paste your names, one per line — or edit the sample names already on the wheel, or pick a quick list
- Press Spin the wheel (or click the wheel, or press Enter on it) and wait for the pointer to stop on the winner
- Turn on 'Remove the winner after each spin' to draw the next name without repeats
- Copy the spin history to keep a record of every winner in order
About Wheel of Names
Wheel of Names turns any list into a spinning wheel that lands on one random entry. Type or paste one name per line, up to 60, and each entry gets its own equal slice. Press Spin the wheel, click the wheel, or press Enter or Space while it's selected, and the pointer at the top marks the winner.
The winner is decided the moment you spin, using your browser's cryptographic random number generator (crypto.getRandomValues), with rejection sampling so no slice is favored. The wheel then turns to a random point inside that slice, so the spin is the reveal, not the decision. Every entry has the same chance on every spin, 1 ÷ the number of entries: 50% with 2 names, 10% with 10, about 3.3% with 30. Spins are independent, so the same name can come up twice in a row unless you take it off the wheel.
To give someone better odds, for example one raffle entry per ticket bought, list their name once per entry. A name listed 3 times on a 10-slice wheel has a 3 in 10 (30%) chance, and its extra slices are visible on the wheel for everyone watching. The tool flags duplicates and can remove them in one click if you want everyone even.
In a classroom it calls on students at random, and it works the same for raffle draws, giveaways, turn order and chores. Turn on 'Remove the winner after each spin' to work through a list without repeats, and the spin history lists each winner in draw order so you can copy it as a record. On a projector, Full screen shows just the wheel, the winner and the spin controls. Need several winners at once without spinning? The Random Name Picker draws them in one go, and the Team Generator splits a list into groups.
Your list is saved only in this browser's local storage, so it's still there on your next visit on this device. It is never uploaded. Press Clear to erase it. This is an independent tool and isn't affiliated with wheelofnames.com.
Frequently asked questions
- How do I spin the wheel of names?
- Type or paste your names into the box, one per line, or start from the sample names already on the wheel. Then press Spin the wheel, click the wheel itself, or press Enter or Space while the wheel is selected. Ctrl+Enter (⌘+Enter on a Mac) in the list box spins it too.
- Is the wheel of names actually random?
- Yes. The winner is picked by your browser's cryptographic random number generator (crypto.getRandomValues) the moment you spin, before the wheel starts turning, so the animation only reveals the result. Every entry has the same 1 ÷ N chance, where N is the number of entries on the wheel.
- Can the wheel of names be rigged?
- Not on this page: there is no hidden setting, weighting or secret winner. The only way to change the odds is to list a name more than once, which shows up as extra slices and in a note under the list. For prize draws, spin on a shared screen and keep the spin history as a record.
- Can the same name win twice in a row?
- Yes. Each spin is independent, so a name has the same chance every time, even if it just won. Turn on 'Remove the winner after each spin' to stop repeats.
- How do I pick more than one winner?
- Turn on 'Remove the winner after each spin' and keep spinning; the spin history lists the winners in the order they were drawn. To draw several names at once without spinning, use the Random Name Picker.
- How many names can I put on the wheel?
- Up to 60, which keeps every name readable. If you paste more, the extra lines stay in the box but are flagged and left off the wheel. For longer lists, use the Random Name Picker.
- Can I save my wheel of names?
- Yes, automatically. Your list and settings are saved in this browser on this device and are there when you come back. The spin history isn't saved: it clears when you refresh or leave the page, so copy it first if you need a record. There are no accounts, no syncing between devices and no share links, and a private or incognito window forgets the list when you close it. Press Clear to erase it.
- Can I use the wheel on a projector or in Google Slides?
- For a projector or smartboard, press Full screen (shown in browsers that support it) to display just the wheel, the winner and the spin controls; Esc exits. The wheel can't be embedded inside a Slides file, but you can link to this page from a slide, or keep it open in another tab and switch to it.
- Is it free, and do I need an app?
- It's free with no sign-up, and there's nothing to install. It works in the browser on phones, tablets and computers.
- Is this the same as wheelofnames.com?
- No. This is an independent tool and isn't affiliated with wheelofnames.com. It does the core job (your list, a fair spin, removing the winner, a spin history) but has no accounts, cloud saving, images or custom sounds.
- Is my list uploaded anywhere?
- No. Your list is kept only in this browser's local storage on your device and is never sent to a server.