Free name drawing generator
Draw Names From a Hat
A virtual hat for any group. Drop names in, give it a shake, and pull out one winner or a whole batch. No sign-up and nothing saved on a server.
How to draw names online
- Fill the hat. Paste a list from a spreadsheet, chat or email, one name per line or separated by commas.
- Choose how many. Draw a single name, a top three, or a whole running order.
- Decide on replacement. Keep “take drawn names out” on for raffles and rotas, or turn it off to put names back each time.
- Draw. Results appear in order, and every draw is logged below so you can show the group.
Hat draw or Secret Santa draw?
A traditional Santa hat draw has everyone pull a slip and hope they don’t get their own name. That works for small groups in one room. For an office or family gift exchange, the Secret Santa generator is faster: it matches everyone in one go, never pairs someone with themselves, respects couples and other exclusions, and sends each person a private link.
Ideas for a random name draw
- Raffle and giveaway winners
- Who presents first in class
- Weekly chore or on-call rota
- Team captains and player order
- Door prizes at a party
- Who hosts the next game night
Draw names FAQ
How do I draw names from a hat online?
Paste or type your names, one per line or separated by commas. Choose how many names to draw and press Draw. The names are shuffled with your browser’s cryptographic random generator, just like shaking a real hat.
Can I draw more than one name at once?
Yes. Set “How many” to any number up to the size of your list. Each draw pulls distinct names, so the same person can’t come out twice in one draw.
What does “Take drawn names out of the hat” do?
When it’s on, every name you draw is removed, so repeated draws never repeat a name until you refill the hat. Turn it off to put names back after each draw.
Is this the same as a Secret Santa draw?
Not quite. A hat draw picks names at random. A Secret Santa draw matches every person with someone else to buy for. For a gift exchange, use the Secret Santa generator, which also handles “don’t match these two” rules.
Is the name drawing fair?
Yes. Every name in the hat has the same chance on every draw. Nothing is weighted, and results are not stored or sent anywhere.
Can I use it for raffles, chores or classrooms?
Yes. The name drawing generator works for raffle winners, chore rotas, picking presentation order or choosing who goes first.
Secret Santa toolkit