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How to pick a random name from a list in Excel and Google Sheets
Excel & Google Sheets
=INDEX(A2:A4,RANDBETWEEN(1,3))✓
Verified example
Computed by a real spreadsheet engine on the sample data below.
| Names |
| Alice |
| Bob |
| Carol |
=INDEX(A2:A4,RANDBETWEEN(1,3))→Alice
Try it with your data
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Sample data — click any cell to edit
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Step by step
- 1Enter your list of names in a column, for example A2:A20.
- 2In any empty cell, type =INDEX(A2:A20,RANDBETWEEN(1,COUNTA(A2:A20))) and press Enter.
- 3The formula randomly picks one name from the list — it recalculates every time the sheet changes.
- 4To freeze the selected name so it doesn't change, copy the result cell and paste as Values Only (Ctrl+Shift+V).
Tips
- COUNTA(A2:A20) automatically counts how many names are in the list, so you don't need to manually update the RANDBETWEEN upper limit when you add names.
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Frequently asked
How do I stop the random name from changing every time I edit the sheet?
Copy the cell with the formula, right-click, Paste Special → Values. This replaces the formula with the static result.
Can I pick a random name without repeating (no replacement)?
Add a helper column with =RAND() next to each name, then use RANK to order them, and pick the top N — or use the SORTBY+RANDARRAY approach in Excel 365 / Google Sheets.