There was a time in the early days of the 'net where using your actual name (and by extension your mothers maiden name) would have been considered perverse- "It's the internet, we can be whoever we want to be". Sadly the powers that be have shifted that away to the point where you are a misfit if you are using accounts that are not linked in some way.
As long as it matches the name they have on record, why would they care?
They probably shouldn't but I had an instance with an ISP back in the day where they wouldnt accept my answer to a security question because the answer was ridiculous. The question was "in what city was your high school?" I put "Upyourassville." The ISP thought there was a problem and wouldnt accept the answer. These days I use my grandmother's maiden name as my mother's maiden name to answer these questions. There are people in my own family who dont know the answer to that.
Agreed; I'm using the same approach of my own 'recovery keys'.
Usually it's possible to provide them in a recovery UI online. And in the case you need to talk to an actual human being, it's easy enough to explain the reason behind it.
I actually see that as a plus. If for whatever reason I forgot my own password and can't get onto my account it should be difficult. More so if the guy on the other end should be doubly sure that I am the real account holder if my esoteric answers match up.