How to use the white elephant order generator
- Type the names of the players, one per line.
- Choose the steal rules your group uses, such as how many times a gift can be stolen, and the two optional house rules.
- The page draws a random order on your device. Press Draw a new order for another one, or keep the draw code to get this one again.
- Press Download PDF or Print for a list you can post where everyone can see it.
How the order is drawn
The names are shuffled with a Fisher-Yates shuffle, which gives every possible order the same chance. The shuffle is driven by a seeded generator, so a six digit draw code fixes the result: the same names and the same code always give the same order. A new draw picks a new code from your browser's secure random source.
The code is printed on the page, so you can rebuild the list later if a copy is lost. Change a name or add a player and the order changes, because the shuffle then has different input. Nothing is sent over the network.
About the rules
White elephant, also called Yankee swap or dirty Santa, has many house rules. The page lists the ones you pick: how many times a gift can be stolen before it is locked, whether a stolen-from player can steal it right back on the same turn, and whether the first player can swap with anyone at the end. Agree on yours before you start, since groups differ.
If your group would rather keep gifts secret until the party, see the Secret Santa Generator. You can draw names for any other purpose with the Random Name Picker, agree on a spending limit with the Gift Budget Calculator, and plan the rest of the gathering with the Party Planner Printable.
Assumptions and limits
- Every player appears once, and names are compared without regard to capital letters.
- The order is a uniform random shuffle driven by the draw code.
- The rules printed are the ones you choose. The page does not enforce them.
- Up to 60 players fit on a page.
Frequently asked questions
How do I decide the order in a white elephant gift exchange?
Draw it at random so every player has the same chance of any position. Enter the names and the page draws an order, which you can print and post.
Is the draw really random?
Each new draw uses a code from your browser's secure random source, and the shuffle gives every order the same chance. The same code always rebuilds the same order.
What does the draw code do?
It lets you get the same order again. Type the code back in with the same names and the list is identical, so you can reprint it later.
How many steals should a gift allow?
Many groups allow two or three steals before a gift is locked, but there is no single rule. The page prints whichever limit your group picks.