What is Wheel of Names?
Wheel of Names is a free online name wheel and random name picker from
GoSpinWheel. Add names, spin the wheel, and choose one result in a way everyone
can see. It is built for people lists: classroom rosters, raffle entries,
giveaway participants, meeting attendees, teams, and turn order.
This page is focused on the exact Wheel of Names task. A list of people goes
into a visible wheel, the wheel spins, and one name is selected. For broader
choices, use the Random Name Picker or the main
Spin the Wheel Online page.
How to use this Wheel of Names
Paste or type your names into the wheel editor. Each line becomes one slice on
the name wheel. Click spin, wait for the wheel to stop, and use the selected
name as the result. The Space key also starts a spin when you are not typing in a
field, which is useful when the wheel is projected in a classroom or shown on a
stream.
For a small group, List mode is fastest: add, rename, duplicate, hide, color, or
delete names directly. For a roster, signup sheet, or giveaway export, use Text
mode. It accepts one name per line and weighted formats like 3, Alice,
Alice, 3, or 3: Alice. For classrooms, keep weights equal. For raffles, use
weights only when the official rules allow multiple entries.
For spreadsheet lists, use CSV import in Text mode. Wheel of Names accepts
CSV or TSV files up to 300KB and can read headers such as input, name,
label, weight, chance, or probability. After import, run Remove
duplicates or Equalize if the list needs cleanup before the draw.
Best uses for a name wheel
Use Wheel of Names online for student selection, raffle draws, giveaway
winners, meeting turns, team order, party games, and live stream audience picks.
Teachers usually need equal odds and no repeats. Event hosts often need a clean
participant list, a visible draw, and a simple result history. Streamers may also
use OBS mode when the name wheel needs to appear on a broadcast overlay.
For two-part choices, add another wheel. One wheel can pick a person while the
second wheel picks a prize, topic, task, or team. GoSpinWheel supports up to six
wheels on one page, so Wheel of Names can become part of a larger draw
without leaving the page.
Fairness and no-repeat picking
Each spin uses secure randomness in the browser through
crypto.getRandomValues(). The final winner is chosen from visible slices and
their current weights, so the best trust signal is a clean setup before the
spin: remove duplicates, equalize weights for fair classroom use, and show the
list if the group needs to verify it.
For no-repeat selection, enable elimination mode before spinning. The winning
name is removed, which is ideal for choosing several unique winners or giving
everyone a turn. The Results tab keeps recent winners during the session, and a
shareable result card can be downloaded after a spin.
GoSpinWheel does not require an account for basic use. You can spin, edit,
import CSV lists, export a JSON backup, and keep local drafts in the browser.
Public share links and cloud saves are different: they store the wheel so others
or another device can open it. Do not put private student data, medical
information, or sensitive participant details into a public share link.
Practical limits and setup tips
Each wheel supports up to 1,100 slices in the editor. That is enough for most
class rosters, event check-ins, small raffles, and team lists, but very large
contests should be cleaned in a spreadsheet first. Remove empty rows, normalize
names, decide whether capitalization matters, and keep one row per participant
unless your rules explicitly use weighted entries.
If you need the exact setup later, use Export to download a JSON backup and
Import to restore it. Signed-in users can also save wheels to a cloud library
with quota limits. AI generation can help create sample name lists, but for real
classrooms, raffles, or giveaways, review the final Wheel of Names list
manually before spinning.
Related wheels
- Random Name Picker - broader name picker wheel for classrooms, raffles, and teams.
- Spin the Wheel Online - main custom wheel spinner for any random choice.
- What to Eat Wheel - decide dinner, lunch, restaurants, and food ideas.
- Spin Wheel Templates - browse more random picker templates.