Secret Santa name generator

Skeleton Laser Gifts
Free to use, no sign-up. Made by Skeleton Laser Gifts

Free · No sign-up

A Secret Santa generator that does the awkward bit for you

Drawing names out of a hat falls apart the moment somebody cannot be there, or draws their own name, or draws their partner and has to put it back while everyone pretends not to look. This does the whole draw in one go, keeps the couples apart, and never gives anybody themselves.

It runs entirely in your browser. There is no account, no email address, no app to install, and nothing is sent to us — the draw is worked out on your own phone or laptop and stays there.

How to run your Secret Santa

  1. Add everyone. Three to forty names. Give the group a name if you like — "Warehouse 2025", "Sunday Roast Crew" — plus a spend limit and the date you are swapping presents.
  2. Say who can't draw who. Add a pair and neither one can get the other. Couples, siblings, the two who sit together and would find it out in a minute.
  3. Pick how to reveal it. Either pass one phone round the room, or send everyone a private link.
  4. Everyone picks a present. Six wrapped boxes, tap one, and the name you have been given is inside it.

Two ways to reveal the names

Pass one phone around

Best when you are all in the same room. One phone goes round the table, each person taps their own name, picks a box, sees who they have got, and hands it on. The screen clears between people, so the next one in line sees nothing.

Send everyone a private link

Best when people are scattered. The whole draw is worked out up front and you get one link per person to paste into WhatsApp, Teams or a text. Each link opens the pick-a-present screen and shows that person, and only that person, who they are buying for.

The name inside a link is scrambled so it means nothing if somebody glances at the message. It is a sealed envelope, not a safe — a determined person with the right skills could unpick it, so do not use it for anything that actually needs to be secret.

Secret Santa gift ideas

Most Secret Santas land somewhere between £10 and £20, which is exactly the awkward range where the obvious presents are all a bit forgettable. A personalised one is not.

Have a look through the Skeleton Laser Gifts shop for engraved slate coasters, keyrings, bottle openers and signs, or design your own with a name, an inside joke or a photo on it. Everything is made to order in the UK, so allow a few days if your swap date is close.

Questions

Is it really free?

Yes. No sign-up, no email address, no limit on how many draws you run. We make laser-engraved gifts for a living and this is here so people find us.

How many people can take part?

Between 3 and 40. Below three there is no draw to make; forty is about where a list on a phone stops being readable.

Can I stop couples drawing each other?

Yes. Add them as a pair and the block works both ways — neither can get the other. Add as many pairs as you need. If the rules make a valid draw impossible, the page says so before you start rather than getting stuck halfway round the table.

Can anyone get themselves?

No. Every draw is checked as it goes, so the people still to pick can always be completed without anybody drawing their own name.

Does the organiser see who has who?

No. There is no list of matches anywhere in the tool — the organiser draws like everybody else.

Where is my group stored?

In your own browser, on the device you set it up on. Nothing reaches a server, because there is no server behind this page. Clearing your browser data, or opening it on a different phone, means starting again — so finish the draw on the device you started it on.

Can I start again?

Yes. "Change the group" lets you edit the names and rules and redraw from scratch. Redrawing invalidates any links you have already sent, so send them again afterwards.

Does it work on a phone?

Yes, and that is what it is built for. It works offline too once the page has loaded, which is handy in an office with bad signal.

Made by Skeleton Laser Gifts — personalised laser-engraved gifts, made to order in the UK.