Wheel of Names - Random Name Picker and Online Fidget

Updated: June 3, 2025

What is a Wheel of Names?

A wheel of names is an online tool that randomly selects a name by spinning a wheel. It’s ideal for teachers in classrooms to randomly select students. It is also very useful in raffles and workplace team building games. Rather than drawing slips of paper from a hat, the wheel offers a fun, completely free, transparent, and unbiased way to make random decisions, helping people decide fairly and interactively.

Random Wheel Spin's wheel is also an online fidget spinner wheel. The wheel's creator's child is autistic and the spinning wheel has a very calming influence on her, visibly reducing her stress and anxiety as well as being a fun entertaining activity, especially the vocal announcement feature and the ability to add images to the wheel.

At Random Wheel Spin, our wheel of names goes far beyond a basic spinner and random name picker. It uses advanced randomness powered by cryptographic technology to ensure every spin is fair and unpredictable. You can easily enter names, tasks, numbers, or custom choices, and let the wheel choose for you. From classroom use by teachers and students, to business giveaways and team building games and even family game nights, the wheel of names adds excitement and integrity to decision-making.

Each spin at Random Wheel Spin is powered by a provably fair system, utilizing secure randomness (CSPRNG) and SHA-256 hashing. This ensures each outcome is both unmanipulated and verifiable, making our wheel suitable for casual users and professionals alike.

How To Use the Wheel of Names

1. Add Names Simply click the "Add Names" button and type wheel names into the popup box.
2. Then click "Spin" in the center of the wheel.
3. The wheel will spin for approximately 10 seconds and a random name will be selected.

Customization and Features

• Change Colors
  Each wheel can have up to eight different colors in it. The colors are randomly assigned to each wheel segment. You can change all the colors by clicking the "Change Colors" button Change Colors. This will open a color picker allowing you to select colors of your choice.

• Import Hundreds of Names from Excel, CSV or Google Sheets
  When you are in the "Add Names" screen you have the option to copy and paste long lists of names from Excel, CSV or Google Sheets directly into the wheel to save you time. You can drag and drop an entire Excel/CSV file or use this 'CSV' button CSV. A prompt will appear asking you which columns you wish to import (you can import multiple columns in one go - each cell is treated as a separate wheel entry/name). With Google Sheets you simply copy the data you want to import and paste it directly in the wheel entries screen. You can also import multiple columns at once from Google Sheets.

• Drag and Drop Multiple Images
  When you are in the "Add Names" screen you can also drag and drop multiple images to the wheel in one go or use this "Images" button Images to add images to the wheel. This is a fun way to graphically show different pictures or faces on the wheel.

• Vocally Announce Winner
  Random Wheel Spin wanted to make the wheel as accessible as possible so we added the option to vocally announce the winner after each spin. This is optional and accessible in the "Add Names" screen.

• Auto Remove Winner After Each Spin
  You also have the option to auto-remove the winner after each spin. This is optional and accessible in the "Add Names" screen.

• Wheel Saves Automatically and Updates in Real-Time
  The wheel updates and saves in real-time meaning there is no need for a save button in any of the screens. The wheel saves automatically as soon as you update the names or colours. This means if you accidentally close your browser everything will reload where you left off the next time you open the website again.
  

Menu Options:

•   Click the New Wheel icon to create a new wheel which will reset the current wheel and load in the default wheel colors and default starting names (your current wheel will be overwritten with the default wheel).

•   Click the Open Wheel icon to open a previously saved wheel. When you click this it will allow you to browse your computer for any previously saved wheels so you can open them (your current wheel will be overwritten with the opened wheel).

•   Click the Save Wheel icon if you want to save your current wheel to your computer hard drive. This is beneficial if you want to create lots of different types of wheels. The saved file is stored on your computer's hard drive. No data is saved on our servers.

•   Click the share icon to share the wheel with other people, including friends, family, students or colleagues. You can share your wheel of names to any other App on your device or create a sharable link to your wheel.

•   Click the embed link (in top menu) to generate a snippet of code which you can insert into your own website. Only the wheel will be displayed in your website. All buttons and menus are removed to make it cleaner and simpler, so you can tailor it to your own branding.

Applications of the Wheel of Names

Random Wheel Spin's wheel of names is used by a wide variety of people and organizations around the world. Its core purpose—making random decisions—can apply to nearly any situation where fairness or spontaneity is required.

Some common applications of the wheel of names include:

• Classroom activities by teachers (picking a student to answer)
• Online fidget spinner wheel - calming and used for anxiety reduction
• Giveaways and raffles
• Workplace or team-building games
• Random movie picker
• Family games and chores assignment
• Choosing winners for competitions or random draws
• Icebreaker questions
• Baby Showers
• Random writing prompts or creative ideas

Unlike static lists or random number generators, the spinning animation of the wheel of names adds anticipation and excitement. Its visual nature also builds trust during group participation, as everyone can see the result unfold live.

Using the Wheel of Names by Teachers in the Classroom

Educators are finding new and creative ways to engage students, and one increasingly popular method is the wheel of names. At Random Wheel Spin, we’ve developed a powerful yet easy-to-use digital spinner that helps teachers bring an extra layer of fairness, energy, and fun into their classrooms. Whether in traditional settings or remote environments, the wheel of names is quickly becoming a go-to tool for teachers around the world.

The concept is simple: enter your student names, click to spin the wheel, and watch as the spinner randomly selects one. But behind that simplicity lies a range of benefits. It removes the stress of having to choose who goes next, eliminating the appearance of favoritism and encouraging full participation from the entire class. For students, it feels like a game. For teachers, it becomes a valuable classroom management asset.

Teachers can go beyond just names. The wheel can be used to select quiz teams, discussion groups, topics for oral presentations, vocabulary words, or even classroom chores. Some teachers even use it as a modern alternative to popsicle stick draws or equity cards. It keeps things unpredictable and exciting while maintaining structure in the classroom.

One of the standout features of the Random Wheel Spin platform is the ability to import names from Excel, CSV files, or Google Sheets. This is especially helpful for teachers who manage multiple classes or want to rotate seating charts, roles, or activities regularly. You can import hundreds of names instantly without manually typing them in.

In addition, our wheel of names tool offers:

• Custom color selection so teachers can personalize the wheel for their class or school
• The option to have the student’s name spoken aloud when selected, which enhances engagement and inclusivity
• The ability to upload profile pictures or themed images for younger students or visual learners
• An optional setting to automatically remove students after being chosen, avoiding repeated selections
• Quick save and load options so different wheels can be stored for different subjects or age groups
• Wheel sharing via direct links or shortcodes, making collaboration between teachers and students easy
• Embedding support so wheels can be placed into school websites or virtual learning platforms

Whether you're teaching in person or online, the wheel of names adapts easily to your style and needs. It encourages fairness, builds excitement, and supports a more inclusive classroom culture. And with Random Wheel Spin, setup is fast, usage is intuitive, and the possibilities are endless.

The Wheel of Names: A Digital Fidget Spinner

At first glance, the wheel looks like just a fun classroom tool for picking names randomly, but for many people—especially those who are neuro-diverse—this simple spinning wheel is much more. In fact, it acts almost like an online fidget spinner wheel, helping to provide a sense of focus, relief, and calm. There’s something about the smooth motion of the wheel, the satisfying click sounds, and the visual payoff when it lands—it’s soothing, even mesmerizing. It's also fun when the selected wheel entry is announced vocally, especially if the wheel entry name is funny. The wheel of names is popular not just for teachers managing a busy classroom, but also for students dealing with anxiety or stress and also for parents with neuro-diverse children.

What makes this even more meaningful is the story behind Random Wheel Spin's creator. The developer has an autistic daughter, and while working on tools to help teachers engage students, he noticed how calming the wheel was for her. It became clear that it wasn’t just a random name picker; it was a digital space where she could find focus and calm and distract her from the stress she was feeling. For her, the spinning motion gave the same comfort as a tactile fidget spinner, but in a more accessible and visually engaging way.

Environments are often overstimulating and loud, and tools like Random Wheel Spin's wheel are small moments of reprieve for adults and children. Teachers have begun using the wheel not only to call on students or assign tasks, but also as a brain break—letting kids watch it spin and gently reset their minds. Especially for neuro-diverse students, this can be a game-changer in terms of classroom inclusion and emotional regulation.

So next time you spin the wheel, know it’s not just about chance—it might also be about finding a little slice of calm in a busy day.

Is the Wheel of Names Random?

Yes the Wheel of Names at Random Wheel Spin is as random as it gets on a computer and uses advanced cryptographic Random Number Generation (RNG) technology similar to that used in slot machines in casinos. Every spin of this wheel is designed to be cryptographically random and provably fair, similar to the standards expected in online casinos or blockchain-based games of chance. "How come I get lots of winners which are the same?" This is just chance. In every day life you can throw two dice and both dice can each land on six several times in a row. This is pure chance and the same applies to the wheel. Random Wheel Spin's Wheel of Names does not have any memory so previous outcomes don't affect future winners. In games of chance, using Math.random() isn't enough. Random Wheel Spin uses browser-grade cryptographic randomness via crypto.randomUUID(), along with SHA-256 for irreversible hashing (used by financial institutions and government agencies).

Click here to find out more about how the random number generator (RNG) works

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