Using random names in Blooket saved me from dealing with inappropriate usernames during my first month of teaching. The kid typed “FartMaster3000.” Another went with something I can’t even repeat here. The class laughed. I turned red. Never again.
Random names fixed everything.
Why Random Names Exist
Here’s the brutal truth. Give students freedom to name themselves and 30% will choose something dumb. Another 20% pick names so similar you can’t tell who’s who.
“John” and “Jon” and “Jhon” all in the same game? Nightmare for tracking who actually learned the material.
Random names solve this by assigning fun, auto-generated usernames. “Clever Fox.” “Mighty Eagle.” “Dancing Penguin.” Clean. Distinct. No drama.
Plus it levels the playing field. Nobody knows who’s winning until the end. Reduces pressure on struggling students. They’re not “the kid who always loses.” They’re just “Swift Rabbit” today.
How to Enable Random Names
Start hosting your Blooket game like normal. Pick your question set. Choose your game mode.
You land in the game settings screen before students join. This is your control panel. This is where the magic happens.
Look for the toggle that says “Random Names” or “Use Random Names.” It’s usually near the top with other lobby settings.
Click that toggle. It turns blue or green or whatever color means “on” in your version.
Done. That’s it. Seriously.
What Students See
Student goes to play.blooket.com. Types your game code. Hits join.
Normally they’d see a name entry box. But with random names on? That box doesn’t appear. Instead, Blooket automatically assigns them a name from its list.
They see: “You are Brave Lion” or whatever random combo popped up. They can’t change it. They just accept it and move forward.
Some kids love their assigned name. Others beg me to restart the game hoping for a cooler one. I don’t restart. That’s the point.
When to Use Random Names
Use random names when:
- You have students who consistently pick inappropriate names
- You want anonymous gameplay to reduce anxiety
- You’re running competitions and don’t want bias
- You have students with similar real names causing confusion
- You’re teaching younger kids who take forever deciding on names
Skip random names when:
- You need to track individual student performance precisely
- You’re running small group sessions where you know everyone
- Students are mature enough to choose appropriate names
- You want to build community using real names
I use random names about 60% of the time. Depends on the class. Depends on the day. Depends on whether Mercury is in retrograde and the kids are acting wild.
Random Names and Reports
Here’s what teachers miss. Random names show up in your Blooket reports too.
You finish the game. Check how to access your reports. You see “Speedy Turtle got 8/10 correct.”
But who is Speedy Turtle? You don’t know. That’s the tradeoff.
Random names are great for in-game experience. Terrible for post-game analysis. You can see class trends. You cannot see individual student struggles.
If you need detailed student data for grading or intervention, don’t use random names. Use real names and deal with the occasional “BurpLord99.”
Or use homework assignments where students log in with accounts. Then you get clean data with real names. Check how to view homework results for tracking individual performance.
Combining Random Names with Other Settings
Random names work alongside other lobby controls. You can stack settings for maximum control.
Random names + disabled late joining: Nobody joins with weird names mid-game. Clean sessions start to finish. Learn about managing late joining to lock your lobby.
Random names + team modes: In Battle Royale, random names keep team assignments fair. No one knows who’s who until it is revealed. Makes team switching less political.
Random names + player limits: Even with auto-names, you still hit capacity limits based on game mode. Random names don’t bypass the 60-player max.
Student Reactions to Random Names
Most students don’t care. They’re there to play, not to express themselves through usernames.
Some students get attached to their random name. “I’m always Clever Fox now. That’s my Blooket identity.” Cool. Whatever works.
Few students hate it. Usually the ones who wanted attention through their username. They’ll survive.
One student told me random names made her less nervous about playing. She wasn’t “Sarah who’s bad at math.” She was “Quiet Mouse having fun.” That comment alone made the feature worth it.
Technical Details
Blooket pulls from a preset list of adjectives and animals. “Brave Tiger.” “Swift Dolphin.” “Mighty Bear.”
The combinations repeat eventually. In a class of 30, you might see “Happy Lion” twice. Blooket adds numbers then. “Happy Lion” and “Happy Lion 2.”
Still cleaner than having three students all named “Bob.”
Names stay assigned for that game session only. Next game? New random assignment. “Brave Tiger” becomes “Silly Penguin.” No consistency across games.
Alternative to Random Names
Don’t want random names but also don’t want chaos? Set name requirements before the game.
Tell students: “First name, last initial only. No nicknames.” Then kick players from the lobby who don’t follow directions.
Works if you have 15 students. Doesn’t scale to 50. Too much policing. Just use random names at that point.
Common Random Name Questions
“Can students request specific random names?” No. It’s random. That’s the whole point. They get what they get.
“Can I see who has which random name?” Not unless you watch them join and memorize it. No official roster exists.
“Do random names appear in downloaded reports?” Yes. You’ll see the random name in your downloaded reports. I still won’t know which student it was.
When Random Names Go Wrong
Only one scenario breaks random names. Game glitches. Student refreshes. Gets assigned a different random name mid-game.
Now “Clever Fox” is suddenly “Brave Owl” with zero points. The original score disappeared. The student is mad. You look confused.
Solution? Tell students never to refresh during games. If their device crashes, they’re out. Use late joining if you want to allow re-entry, but they start over.
FAQs
Q: Can I customize the random name list?
A: No. Blooket controls the name pool. You get what you get.
Q: Will the same student get the same random name every time?
A: No. It’s random for each game. No consistency.
Q: Can students see each other’s random names during the game?
A: Yes. Leaderboards show everyone’s random name. Just like regular names.
Q: Do random names work in solo games?
A: Solo games don’t need names at all. Check how to play solo for that setup.
Using random names in Blooket takes one toggle and saves you from username drama all year long.
