Giveaway Winner Picker

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random name picker

Random Name Picker

Drawing a name from a list sounds trivial, but most homemade implementations get one thing subtly wrong: using plain `Math.random()` makes it impossible to prove afterward that the result was not manipulated. This tool uses a deterministic generator seeded by a public combination of text and a list hash, so the same pair of inputs always produces the same winner, on any computer.

From the list to the winner, with no bias at any step

Each name enters as a line in the list. The shuffle uses the Fisher-Yates algorithm, which walks the list backward, swapping each position with another one drawn from what has not been processed yet, the only classic method that favors neither the top nor the bottom of a list, unlike sorting by a random key, which can bias large lists.
Every Fisher-Yates swap draws an integer through rejection sampling, discarding values that would fall outside an exact range and redrawing, which avoids the modulo bias that would show up if the raw random number were simply divided by the size of the remaining list. The generator behind those swaps is deterministic: given the same seed and the same list, the drawn order is always identical, which is what makes the result reproducible by anyone afterward.
The allow-repeat option decides whether the same person can win more than one prize: off, the default, the draw walks the shuffled list until it has gathered enough distinct winners; on, each prize is an independent draw over the whole list, so repeating a name becomes possible. Duplicate names in the original list count as extra entries, unless remove-duplicates is turned on.

Examples

One name, no repeats

Input: Lista de 25 nomes, 1 prêmio
Expected output: Um nome sorteado, distinto de qualquer suplente

Default setup: each person enters once in the drawn sequence.

Several winners

Input: Lista de 60 nomes, 5 prêmios, repetição desligada
Expected output: 5 nomes distintos, na ordem sorteada pelo Fisher-Yates

With repeats off, the same person never occupies two prize slots.

Allowing repeats

Input: 15 nomes, 4 prêmios, repetição ligada
Expected output: Cada prêmio sorteado de forma independente sobre os 15 nomes

With repeats on, one person can legitimately win more than one prize.

Full tool FAQ

How do I prove the draw was fair?

Publish the seed before drawing and the receipt afterwards. The receipt carries the seed, the SHA-256 fingerprint of the list and the winners. Anyone can paste those into the Verify tab and watch the same result appear, with no need to trust you or us.

What is the seed?

Does the receipt prove nobody cheated?

How do I give more chances to those who participated more?

Can I draw several different prizes?

How do I run a second round without repeating winners?

Can I import the list from a spreadsheet?

Is the draw really unbiased?

Frequently asked questions

How do I draw a name from a list?

Paste the names, one per line, choose how many winners you want, and tap draw. The result comes with the hash of the list used, to verify afterward that no one altered the names after the draw.

How is it different from the spinner wheel?

The wheel is a visual presentation of the same kind of draw, spinning until it stops on a name. The name picker is direct and handles large lists, multiple winners, and backups better in one pass.

Can one person win more than one prize?

Only if you turn on the allow-repeat option. With it off, the default, each prize goes to a different person, following the single order produced by the Fisher-Yates shuffle from the list and the seed.

Next steps

Continue in the tool

Open full tool

random name picker

Random Name Picker

From the list to the winner, with no bias at any step

Each name enters as a line in the list. The shuffle uses the Fisher-Yates algorithm, which walks the list backward, swapping each position with another one drawn from what has not been processed yet, the only classic method that favors neither the top nor the bottom of a list, unlike sorting by a random key, which can bias large lists.

Every Fisher-Yates swap draws an integer through rejection sampling, discarding values that would fall outside an exact range and redrawing, which avoids the modulo bias that would show up if the raw random number were simply divided by the size of the remaining list. The generator behind those swaps is deterministic: given the same seed and the same list, the drawn order is always identical, which is what makes the result reproducible by anyone afterward.

The allow-repeat option decides whether the same person can win more than one prize: off, the default, the draw walks the shuffled list until it has gathered enough distinct winners; on, each prize is an independent draw over the whole list, so repeating a name becomes possible. Duplicate names in the original list count as extra entries, unless remove-duplicates is turned on.

Examples

One name, no repeats

Input: Lista de 25 nomes, 1 prêmio
Expected output: Um nome sorteado, distinto de qualquer suplente

Default setup: each person enters once in the drawn sequence.

Several winners

Input: Lista de 60 nomes, 5 prêmios, repetição desligada
Expected output: 5 nomes distintos, na ordem sorteada pelo Fisher-Yates

With repeats off, the same person never occupies two prize slots.

Allowing repeats

Input: 15 nomes, 4 prêmios, repetição ligada
Expected output: Cada prêmio sorteado de forma independente sobre os 15 nomes

With repeats on, one person can legitimately win more than one prize.

Full tool FAQ

How do I prove the draw was fair?

What is the seed?

Does the receipt prove nobody cheated?

How do I give more chances to those who participated more?

Can I draw several different prizes?

How do I run a second round without repeating winners?

Can I import the list from a spreadsheet?

Is the draw really unbiased?

Frequently asked questions

How do I draw a name from a list?

Paste the names, one per line, choose how many winners you want, and tap draw. The result comes with the hash of the list used, to verify afterward that no one altered the names after the draw.

How is it different from the spinner wheel?

The wheel is a visual presentation of the same kind of draw, spinning until it stops on a name. The name picker is direct and handles large lists, multiple winners, and backups better in one pass.