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Free tool · Groups

Random group maker for names

A group maker shuffles participants into groups that are as even as possible. Enter one name per line, then choose a group count or maximum size.

Enter one participant per line. Names stay in this tab.

0 of 200 participants maximum

Enter at least two participants.

Identical names count separately. Add a surname or other detail to tell them apart in the result.

How would you like to split them?

Enter a whole number from 1 to the participant count.

This tab only: names and groups are not saved and are lost on reload or when you close the tab.

How to use the group maker

Enter one participant per line. Choose the number of groups or a maximum group size, then select Make groups. You can reshuffle the same list without re-entering names. Copy the result if your browser allows it.

With a group count, participants are divided as evenly as possible. Any remainder adds one member to each of the first groups in the shuffled result. With a maximum size, the tool creates the necessary number of groups and balances them; the size is a ceiling, so not every group will necessarily be full.

Names, duplicates and limits

Use 2–200 participants, up to 80 Unicode code points per name and 20,000 characters in the field. Blank lines are skipped and outer spaces are removed. Identical text on two lines represents two distinct entries; add a surname or other label if you need to tell those people apart. Invalid Unicode and certain invisible control characters are rejected. Combined emoji can count as more than one code point.

Randomness and privacy

The browser's cryptographic random source shuffles the list. This tool provides no auditable draw record and cannot guarantee fairness for high-stakes decisions. Agree on a verifiable process for those cases.

Names and groups stay in this tab. The tool does not save or send them to Spirelight; reloading or closing the tab clears them. Copying places the result on your device's clipboard when browser access is available.

This group maker distributes the whole list into groups. Use the random wheel to draw one name or the random number generator to draw numbers.

Questions and answers

How do I make random groups?
Enter 2–200 names, one per line. Choose the number of groups or maximum group size, then select Make groups. Reshuffle the same list or copy the result if your browser allows it.
How are leftover participants distributed?
For a chosen group count, each of the first groups in the shuffled result gets one extra participant until the remainder is used. For a maximum size, the tool first calculates the necessary group count, then balances all groups.
Do duplicate names count twice?
Yes. Blank lines are ignored and outer spaces are removed. Identical text on two lines is treated as two distinct participants. Add extra identifying text if you need to tell them apart.
Is this fair enough for important decisions, and are names saved?
The tool uses browser cryptographic randomness but does not provide an auditable fairness record for high-stakes decisions. Names and groups stay in this tab and disappear on reload or when you close it.