Group Randomizer: Shuffle Names Into Random Groups
Mark a captain by putting a * before the name, like *Sam.
Your teams will appear here.
A group randomizer shuffles a list of names and divides it into random, evenly sized groups. Paste your names, set how many groups you want or how many people per group, and generate. The shuffle gives every name the same odds, sizes stay balanced, and you can reroll for a new draw whenever you like.
You’ve got groups on screen already. Here’s how the shuffle works and the extras worth using.
Randomize groups in three steps
- Paste names. One per line or comma-separated. Repeats and extra spaces get stripped out.
- Pick the split. Number of groups, or people per group. Either way, sizes come out even to within one.
- Shuffle. Generate, then reroll as many times as you want. Each reroll is a fresh random draw.
Here’s 15 names randomized into 4 groups, where the remainder has to spread across groups:
Team 1
- Hugo
- Diego
- Ella
- Isla
Team 2
- Ava
- Kira
- Chloe
- Leo
Team 3
- Owen
- Mia
- Finn
- Grace
Team 4
- Noah
- Ben
- Jack
Beyond a basic scramble
Reroll freely. Draw again with the same list, or change the group count and re-run. Your setup stays put.
Keep people together or apart. Pin names to the same group, or split them across different ones. The randomizer applies those rules first, then shuffles the rest around them.
Numbers mode. Randomize a numeric range into groups when you don’t have names to hand.
Export and share. Copy the groups, download a CSV, save an image, or share a link that reopens the same result.
Where it fits
Teachers shuffling students so cliques don’t form the same way every lesson. The classroom group generator adds student-specific options. Managers rotating people through breakout groups. Hosts sorting a party into game teams.
If “team” fits your context better, the team randomizer is identical with team wording. For a plain build without the shuffle framing, try the group maker. And for twos, the random pair generator handles pairing.
Why the groups are fair
The engine is a Fisher-Yates shuffle, the standard unbiased method where every ordering is equally likely. No name is nudged toward any group. After shuffling, people are dealt out one at a time, which keeps group sizes tight. Sixteen people into three groups gives 6, 5, and 5, not 10, 3, and 3.
Keep-together and keep-apart rules run before the random fill. If a rule is impossible for your setup, you’ll see a warning rather than a silently wrong result. Everything runs in your browser, so the names you paste stay on your device.
Frequently asked questions
How does the group randomizer decide who goes where?
It shuffles your whole list with an unbiased Fisher-Yates method, then deals people into groups one at a time. Every name has the same chance of any group. Any keep-together or keep-apart rules you set are applied first, and everyone else is randomized around them.
Can I reshuffle the groups quickly?
Yes. Hit generate again for a fresh draw without retyping anything. Your names and settings stay in place between rerolls, so you can compare a couple of arrangements and pick the one you like before sharing it out.
Does it keep groups the same size?
As close as the math allows. After the shuffle, names are dealt one at a time across groups, so sizes never differ by more than one person. When the total doesn’t divide evenly, the leftover people spread across groups and the tool shows how they landed.
Is my list of names private?
Yes. The randomizer runs entirely in your browser and never uploads your list. The names you paste stay on your device. Share links carry the list in the URL itself, so you decide who you send them to. The privacy policy has the full detail.