Pick Names Out of a Hat

A virtual hat for any draw

Drawing names from a hat is one of the oldest ways to make a fair choice. This tool does the same without paper: paste your names, one per line, and press the draw button. Each draw picks one name using your browser’s cryptographic random generator, and every name that is still in the hat has an equal chance.

The drawing order history keeps a list of everything drawn, so you can read out the results or check what happened later.

Elimination: keep names in or take them out

With "remove drawn name from hat" switched on, a name leaves the hat after it is drawn, like real slips of paper. That is right for assigning turns, drawing several winners and handing out prizes, because nobody can be picked twice.

With it off, the name goes back in, like drawing a card and returning it. That suits games where the same name can be chosen again, such as picking who answers the next question in a quiz.

Ideas for using it

Choose a gift recipient, a speaking order, a presenter, a volunteer or a table partner. Teachers use it for random reading turns, and clubs use it to break ties. Families use it to decide who picks the film or who does the dishes. For a gift exchange where nobody may draw their own name, use the Secret Santa generator, which guarantees that.

If you want the audience to watch the choice, use a wheel such as the random name picker, which animates the draw.

Fairness and privacy

A secure random generator chooses the name, and the choice is made before any animation. The names you type are not sent to a server. If you need a draw that others can verify afterwards, use a verified draw on any wheel.