random name generator

This post was originally published October 30, 2015. It was updated with new information on March 22, 2019 and April 30, 2021.

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My colleague Miguel Guhlin and I were working on the ISTE Certified Educator training and we needed a random selector tool. Of course, Miguel pipes up and had just the right wheel spinner. This joint effort spawned a blog and the hunt for even more spinners.

For more on shape spinners, check out this blog entry.

FREE is the key word for all seven spinners!

Wheel Decide

Created by: Wheel Decide LLC

Beachball colored wheel with a spinner click sound.

The Steps:

1. Visit: https://wheeldecide.com/.
2. Scroll down the page and enter your choices (The max is 100.).
3. Title your wheel.
4. Click (Apply Wheel Changes).
5. That’s it. You have your wheel.
6. If you want to save the wheel, copy the URL and save it.

Red flag: If you scroll down to the very bottom of Wheel Decide, there are some pre-made wheels that are adult themed: What Wine to Drink?, Tarot Cards,  and What Domestic Beer to Drink (US)?

Random Name Picker Spinner

Created by: Classroom Tools

Multiple colors with a spinner click sound and applause

The Steps:

1. Visit: https://www.classtools.net/random-name-picker/.
2. Below the Spinner, you will find Edit/Save.
3. Enter your information.
4. Press Submit (your spinner is visible immediately).
5. Or better yet, save your spinner for future use with the following steps:
   1. Click Save this List.
   2. Provide a password.
   3. Save the unique address to access your spinner.

Extra! You can opt to remove each option immediately.

Flippity Random Name Picker

Created by: Flippity.net

Rainbow-colored spinner

The Steps:

1. Visit: http://flippity.net/.
2. Find the Flippity Random Name Picker.
3. Make a copy of the template.
4. Enter your information.
5. Label your roster.
6. Go to File, Publish to the Web.
7. Click Publish.
8. Click on the Get the Link Here tab (at the bottom).
9. Bookmark the page to return in the future.

Extra! You can also display your information in the form of: lineup, group, team, or seating arrangement.

Spin Wheel

Created by: Lylesoft LLC

Pastel colored wheel with spinner sounds

The Steps:

1. Visit https://www.randomnamepicker.net/spin-wheel.
2. Click on Name Sets.
3. Delete the list of existing names: James, Mary, John, etc.
4. Enter your information.
5. Click Save and Close.
6. Select Reset Name.
7. Click Play.

Extra! You can opt to remove each option immediately.

Red Flag: I could never get this spinner to save multiple sets, so I think you might have to create an account.

Wheel of Names

Created by:  Martin Omander, Google Developer Relations

Red, blue, green, and yellow wheel with spinner click sounds and applause

The Steps:

1. Visit https://wheelofnames.com/.
2. Enter your information to the right of the spinner.
3. Click on the spinner to activate.

Extra! You can opt to remove each option immediately.  One other bonus is that this wheel allows you to add images for options. 

Picker Wheel

Created by:  Tyson Lim

Various hues of yellow and green wheel with spinner clicking sounds and upbeat music to announce selection

The Steps:

1. Visit https://pickerwheel.com/
2. Enter your information to the right of the spinner.
   1. Enter in the yellow “Input here” one-by-one.
   2. Or click on the peach-colored button to add a whole list.
3. Click on the spinner’s middle button.

Extra! Works in three modes: normal mode, elimination mode, and accumulation mode.

It is a PWA application which means you can work offline and can be installed as a desktop, iOS or Android app without surfing through a browser.

Wheel Generator

Created by: WheelGenerator.com

Five muted toned wheel spinner with spinner clicking sounds. The winner is announced in a text box with whistles, whoops, and clapping.

The Steps:

1. Visit https://wheelgenerator.com/
2. Enter random names, numbers, or symbols to the field next to the spinner.
3. Click the blue spin button to activate.

Extra! You can remove and add information immediately from the Entries Box. Includes an easy share button: Facebook, email, Gmail, Twitter, LinkedIn, Messenger and so many more.

I certainly hope one of these seven fancy wheels will spin you right. If you happen to have another wheel spinner that would be an awesome addition, please email me at preimers@tcea.org. Happy spinning!

Updated on November 22, 2019. This blog originally only had five spinners, but thanks to Tyson Lim we now have SIX SPINNERS!

Updated on April 30, 2021. How exciting! Another developer has reached out to me with another option – bringing the count of free wheel spinners to SEVEN!

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