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I have often either locked myself out of a hotel room or demagnetized my key. I have never been asked my name or been verified in any way (different clerk than the one I checked in with, etc).

While I'm sure some hotels (maybe more upscale ones?) do verification, it is far from universal in the USA.

I was traveling a lot for work at one point, and I decided to test this out. I would ask for a new key at every hotel I stayed at, and make a point to not tell them my name unless they asked. They almost never did.

Perhaps you're staying at better hotels than I am?

In my experience, keycards fail so often that the hotel workers don't bat an eyelid when you say your card has failed, they just make you a new one.

Names are not generally considered secret. It will be relatively easy for someone to social engineer the name for a room either with the desk or with you (calling the room).

A little social engineering would sort that out