Everything you need to know about Tree of Names — the fun animated random name picker, free online decision maker, classroom name picker, and raffle winner picker. How it works, what it supports, and how your data is handled.
Tree of Names is a free, animated random decision picker. You add a list of names or options, the character throws a stone at the tree, and a paper with the winning name flutters down. It's perfect for picking a winner from a group, choosing who goes first, raffles, classroom activities, team selections, and any moment when you need a fun, fair random choice.
Yes, Tree of Names is completely free. There are no ads, no sign-ups, no paywalls, and no usage limits. Just open the page in any modern browser and start picking.
Yes. Tree of Names uses your browser's built-in random number generator to choose which paper (name) is knocked off the tree on each throw. Every name on the tree has an equal chance of being picked, so the result is fair and unbiased.
You can add up to 50 names per round. Each name can be up to 40 characters long.
Yes. Use the "Papers to knock off per throw" stepper to choose how many names should be picked in a single throw — useful for selecting teams or drawing multiple winners at once.
Yes. Open the "Add many at once" panel and either paste a list (separated by line breaks, commas, semicolons, tabs, or pipes) or upload a file. Tree of Names supports plain text (.txt), comma-separated (.csv), tab-separated (.tsv), and PDF (.pdf) files. Duplicates are automatically removed.
Yes. The page is fully responsive and works on iOS, Android, tablets, and desktops. The tree scene scales to your screen and the controls scroll naturally on small devices.
No. Tree of Names runs entirely in your browser. Your names are never uploaded, stored, tracked, or shared. Refresh the page and everything is cleared.
Yes. Tap the speaker icon in the top-right of the panel to mute or unmute all sound effects, including the throw, impact, and celebration sounds.
Absolutely. Tree of Names is a popular classroom name picker for teachers. Simply type in your students' names, hit "Throw Stone", and the animated tree picks one at random. It keeps every student engaged and makes being picked feel like a fun event rather than a random shout-out. Because names stay on the tree until knocked off, you can cycle through the whole class without repeating anyone.
Add all participant names (up to 50), set "Papers per throw" to however many prizes you have, and press "Throw Stone". The tree knocks off exactly that many papers and reveals the winners. You can increase the number of winners per throw and run multiple rounds for multi-tier prizes, or keep throwing until all names have been picked.
Yes — this is one of the most popular uses. Add each player's name, set the throw to 1 winner, press "Throw Stone", and the tree decides who goes first. It is faster and more entertaining than rolling dice or drawing cards, and everyone agrees the result is fair.
Spinner wheels and random number generators give you a number or a flashing result. Tree of Names gives you a full animated scene: a character throws a stone, papers sway in the wind, one falls, and the winner is revealed dramatically. The result is the same — a genuinely fair random pick — but the experience is far more fun, especially for groups. There is no spinning, no dizzy wheel, and no clicking "generate" on a plain text box.
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