Whatever you posted before your update, or after, why no strict 'subs' has anything to do with the problem.What you want to mention is really 'refs'.

This works:

$thisname{'frank'} = 1;
$thisname{'lee'} = 2;
$hashname = 'thisname';
print keys(%$hashname);
[download]

This works:

use strict('subs');
$thisname{'frank'} = 1;
$thisname{'lee'} = 2;
$hashname = 'thisname';
print keys(%$hashname);
[download]

This does not work:

use strict('refs');
$thisname{'frank'} = 1;
$thisname{'lee'} = 2;
$hashname = 'thisname';
print keys(%$hashname);
[download]