Wheel of Names
Put your names on the wheel, spin to pick one person at random, and keep the roster for next time.
Set up your wheel of names
- Enter the names
Paste your list into the entries box, one name per line, or open a roster you saved earlier in My Wheels. Duplicates are allowed and appear as separate slices while Show Duplicates is on.
- Spin, or start a round
Spin for a single pick. For turn-taking, open Rounds, mark today's absences and choose Start round so each included row is called once.
- Save it for next time
Save the wheel in My Wheels, or export a .wheel file to carry it to another device. The saved wheel keeps its full roster while the round runs.
Round progress and Results live in this browser only. They are a convenience, not proof of attendance or an independently verified selection record.
A name wheel that remembers your group
Type or paste one name per line, and each name becomes a slice of the wheel. Spin, and the pointer stops on one person. Enabled names get equal slices unless you add Advanced weights or list a name more than once. The sample holds eight names. A wheel accepts up to 2,000 lines, with 1,000 visible at first; use Entries Visible in Customize to include a longer class list.
The difference between this page and a plain random picker is memory. My Wheels keeps the saved wheel in this browser on this device while browser storage lasts and site data is not cleared. The saved wheel is separate from today's round progress, so the roster stays complete. Keep a .wheel backup if your device policy allows, and open it on another computer. Local roster editing and spins keep the list on your device. Using an available hosted Share or live-room feature sends the wheel data needed for that feature.
For a class, a club or a standing meeting, use Rounds. It starts from the rows the wheel is currently showing, so check the visible limit and Show Duplicates first. Tick today's absences and start the round: the wheel then lands only on rows that are present and not yet called, and a counter shows how many are left. End the round when no rows remain and the full roster comes back untouched. Restart it for another activity with the same group.
Two names the same, for example two students called Sam, are fine: the numbered rows in the Rounds dialog show which is which. Each row counts separately, so one person entered twice can be called twice; delete the extra row when one turn each is the rule. Auto remove winner is the other option: it edits the list itself and stops at two non-empty lines.
Advanced weights give one name a larger share of the wheel than another, which helps when someone missed a turn. A round still applies those weights: it skips rows already called, but it does not make unequal weights equal.
Results are kept in this browser only, as a convenience. They are not an attendance record. A round can be lost if the tab closes before it finishes saving, so keep the tab open on shared computers and use End round when you are done.
Where a wheel of names earns its keep
- Classrooms Cold calling without the groans: Students see the spin, so the pick is visibly fair. Mark absences at the start of the lesson, and the round works through the included rows, calling each once.
- Meetings Who presents first: Put the team on the wheel for stand-up order, demo slots or the person who takes notes. A saved roster means the wheel is ready in seconds every week.
- Giveaways and raffles One winner from a list: Paste the entrants, spin once in front of the audience, and use Auto remove winner for several prizes. Removal stops at two remaining lines.
- Family and friends Chores, turns and small decisions: Whose turn to choose the film, who empties the dishwasher, who goes first in the board game. A quick spin ends the argument.
Teachers can follow the lesson-by-lesson roster routine for a full walkthrough of saving a class and running rounds.
Starting entries
- Maya
- Leo
- Priya
- Noah
- Amara
- Felix
- Zara
- Omar
Common questions
Is the wheel of names really random?
Yes. The stopping point comes from a random draw on your device. Every enabled name has an equal share of the wheel unless you add Advanced weights or type a name twice.
How many names can I add?
Up to 2,000 names, with the first 1,000 active by default; raise Entries Visible in Customize to include more. Long names are shrunk on the slice and shown in full when the wheel stops.
Can I stop the same person being picked twice?
Rounds calls each included row once, then End round restores the full list. Auto remove winner instead deletes the drawn name and stops at two non-empty lines. A name listed twice holds two rows, so remove the extra one.
Do I need an account to save my list?
No account is required. Save a reusable roster in My Wheels on this browser, or carry it to another computer as a .wheel file. Browser data can be cleared, so retain a permitted backup.
Can I change the colours or add pictures?
Yes. Customize sets slice colours, the spin sound and the confetti, and you can attach an image to an entry, which is drawn on its slice with the name.