Secret Santa Generator
Randomly assign Secret Santa gift pairs for your group. Fair, no one draws their own name. Free online generator.
Enter names (one per line):
Enter at least 2 names and click Generate to create Secret Santa pairs.
How Does the Secret Santa Generator Work?
Enter the names of all participants, one per line. The generator shuffles the names using the Fisher-Yates algorithm and assigns each person the next person in the shuffled list as their gift recipient, creating a circular chain where the last person gives to the first.
Example
With 5 participants — Alice, Bob, Charlie, Diana, and Edward — after shuffling you might get pairs like: Alice gives to Charlie, Charlie gives to Edward, Edward gives to Bob, Bob gives to Diana, and Diana gives to Alice. Everyone gets exactly one person to gift.
Common Use Cases
- Office holiday party gift exchanges.
- Family gatherings where everyone wants to give a gift without buying for the whole group.
- Friend group gift swaps or Secret Santa events.
- Team-building activities and social club events.
FAQs
Can someone end up being assigned themselves?
No — the circular assignment ensures that each person is assigned to a different person. No one will ever draw their own name.
How many names can I enter?
There is no limit, but you need at least 2 participants. For very large groups, the tool will still work efficiently since all processing happens in your browser.