Cold calling
Pick who answers next without anyone feeling singled out. The wheel is visibly impartial, so the quiet student and the eager hand-raiser have identical odds.
A random name picker wheel. Add names to the entry list, then press the Spin button or press Space or Enter while this wheel is focused to pick a random winner. The winner is selected using cryptographically secure randomness before the animation begins.
- Amelia
- Noah
- Priya
- Mateo
- Chloe
- Omar
- Sofia
- Jonah
- Aisha
- Lucas
10 entries on the wheel
10 entries on the wheel
Wheel entries
- Amelia
- Noah
- Priya
- Mateo
- Chloe
- Omar
- Sofia
- Jonah
- Aisha
- Lucas
Entries: 10
Quick setup for teachers
Four steps, about a minute, once per class.
- 1Open thenamewheel.com on your classroom computer — nothing to install.
- 2Paste your class list into the Bulk Edit tab, one name per line.
- 3Enable Auto-Remove in Options so no student is called twice.
- 4Spin — the wheel picks fairly, and every student can see that it did.
How teachers use TheNameWheel
A random student picker earns its place when the alternative is a judgement call you have to defend.
Group formation
Spin repeatedly to build project teams in front of the class. Nobody gets picked last, and nobody can claim you stacked the groups.
Seating arrangements
Randomize the seating chart at the start of term or after a disruptive week. It takes about a minute and pre-empts every "why do I have to sit there" conversation.
Presentation order
Decide who presents first without the usual stalling. One spin sets the running order and the debate is over.
Quiz rewards
Spin to pick who earns the bonus point or answers the tie-break question. It turns a routine review into something the class actually watches.
Classroom jobs
Assign the weekly duties — board, register, equipment — at random. Rotating jobs by wheel is faster than a rota and harder to argue with.
Why teachers trust us
Student names never leave the browser
Your class list is stored on the machine you typed it into. It is never uploaded, and we have no access to it — there is no server-side copy to request or breach.
No student accounts
Nothing for students to sign into, share credentials for, or get distracted by. The wheel is something you run at the front of the room, not an app they install.
Projector-ready
A full-screen wheel button and a dark mode that holds up under classroom lighting. Big, legible segments that read from the back row.
Works instantly
No install, no licence, no IT ticket. Open a browser on the classroom computer and it works — which matters when you have four minutes before the bell.
What people say
I paste my class list once at the start of term and spin all year. Auto-remove means every student gets called before anyone gets called twice — that’s the part my class actually notices.
SM
Sarah M.
Year 5 Teacher
We run a monthly giveaway on our Twitch stream. Having the wheel draw the winner before the animation starts means nobody in chat can claim it was rigged. That matters a lot to our community.
JK
Jordan K.
Content Creator & Community Manager
Our IT department approved it in under a day because nothing leaves the browser. No sign-in, no data agreement to chase down. It just worked on the projector on day one.
OO
Mr. Okonkwo
Head of Year, Secondary School
I use it for random presentation order in my university seminar. Students can see the wheel — no one thinks I’m playing favourites, and honestly, neither do I anymore.
PL
Dr. Priya L.
Lecturer, Computer Science
Classroom name picker — teacher questions
Can I save my class list so I don't re-enter it each time?
Yes. Click Saved, name the wheel — "Period 3 Biology", say — and it is stored on that computer. Reload it in one click next lesson, and keep a separate saved wheel for each class.
Does TheNameWheel store my students' names on a server?
No. Entries are held in your browser's local storage on that device. Nothing is transmitted to us, so we could not produce a list of your students if we were asked to.
Is this tool safe to use with minors?
The wheel itself asks for nothing: no student accounts, no sign-in, and no personal details beyond the first names you choose to type. Those names stay on your device. The site is ad-supported and has an optional staff newsletter, so if your school requires a formal COPPA or GDPR review, send your administrator to our privacy policy before rolling it out.
How do I prevent the same student from being picked twice?
Turn on Auto-Remove in Options. Each winner is taken off the wheel after their spin, so you can work through an entire class with nobody called twice — then reload the saved list to start again.
Can I display the wheel full-screen on a projector?
Yes. The expand button in the corner of the wheel fills the whole screen, which pairs well with dark mode on a projector. Spin by clicking the wheel itself or the Spin button.
Data compliance for schools
What administrators and IT departments typically ask before approving a tool.
FERPA compliance depends on whether student names constitute education records in your district’s interpretation. Because entries are stored only in the teacher’s browser and never transmitted to us, we do not receive or process any student data — which removes us from the FERPA vendor chain entirely. Consult your district’s privacy officer for a formal determination.
Because we receive no student data (entries stay in the browser), a DPA with us is not required under GDPR or FERPA. If your district requires DPAs for all EdTech tools regardless, contact us at ik2756404@gmail.com and we will provide a template confirming our zero-data architecture.
Yes. Open the browser DevTools Network tab before using the wheel, then add names and spin. You will see zero outbound requests containing your entry data. Step-by-step instructions are on our privacy page.
Free classroom starter pack
20 class rosters ready to paste — common subjects, group sizes, and year levels. Download free and use immediately.
Occasional feature updates too. Unsubscribe any time.
About the Classroom Name Picker
This classroom name picker exists for one job: choosing a student at random in a way the whole room accepts. Type or paste your roster, spin, and the class watches the same wheel you do — which is the difference between a fair pick and a judgement call you end up defending.
As a random student picker it handles the cases teachers actually hit: cold calling, group formation, presentation order, classroom jobs. Turn on Auto-Remove and it works through a full class without repeating anyone, and a saved wheel per class means you set the roster up once rather than every lesson.
It runs in the browser with no install and no IT approval, which is why it works as a classroom wheel spinner on locked-down school machines — a practical wheel of names for teachers who need to pick a student randomly and move on. Student names stay on the device you typed them into. Free, no account, and it loads fast enough to use in the gap between the bell and the lesson starting.