Name From a Hat — Free Online Random Name Draw
Type in every name, press draw, and watch a folded slip rise out of the hat and unfold to reveal a random winner. It's the timeless "pick a name out of a hat" method, made perfectly fair with cryptographically secure randomness — with an optional no-repeats mode for Secret Santa, raffles, and running orders.
- Secret Santa organisers
- Raffle & giveaway hosts
- Teachers picking students
Drawing a Name From a Hat, Online
Writing everyone's name on a slip of paper and pulling one from a hat is the oldest, most trusted way to make a fair choice — no batteries, no arguments. This tool recreates that exact ritual on screen: the hat shakes, a folded slip rises out, and it unfolds to reveal a genuinely random name.
People have drawn lots this way for thousands of years — to assign duties, settle disputes, and share things out fairly. It works because nobody can see or feel which slip they will pull, so the result can't be steered. The trouble with a real hat is that folded slips aren't identical: a bigger fold or a stiffer paper can be found by touch, giving a subtle edge.
The digital version fixes that. Type in every name, press Draw, and the winner is chosen by a cryptographically secure random number — every name has exactly the same chance, and there's nothing to feel for. Turn on no repeats to draw each name only once, perfect for putting a whole group into a random order.
Draw Once, or Draw Every Time?
The one setting that changes everything is whether a drawn name goes back in the hat. Pick the mode that matches what you're doing.
No Repeats (draw without replacement)
Each name is removed once it's drawn, so you never get the same person twice until the hat is empty. This is what you want for building a random running order, dealing people into turns, or a single-winner raffle where each ticket is unique.
Allow Repeats (put it back)
Every draw uses the full list, so the same name can come up again. Use this when each draw is an independent question — like repeatedly asking "who's next?" where being picked once shouldn't rule you out.
What People Draw For
- Secret Santa & gift swaps: draw who buys for whom, no repeats so everyone gets one match.
- Raffles & giveaways: pull one random winner from all the entries.
- Classroom picks: choose who answers, presents, or leads — fairly and visibly.
- Running order: draw every name once to set a random sequence for presentations or games.
- Chores & duties: let the hat decide who does what, so nobody can complain it was rigged.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about drawing names from a hat.
Yes — fairer than a real hat. The name is chosen with your browser's cryptographically secure random number generator, so every name has an identical chance and there's no slip to feel for.
Yes — turn on "no repeats" and each name is removed once drawn, until the hat is empty. Turn it off to put every name back for each draw.
Up to 200 names, one per line. The drawn names are listed below the hat so you can track a full sequence.
Yes — completely free, unlimited draws, no sign-up, on any device.