CAD tip # 9265:

Here comes the rRename LISP utility by Arkance Systems. CS rRename (see Download) is a free AutoCAD add-on tool, which allows to rename blocks, layers, layouts, linetypes, views, viewports, styles, user coordinates systems and groups with a simple find/replace or with regular expressions. Unlike the standard RENAME command you can use it to batch-rename layouts or to perform complex renaming schemes like swapping parts of a name, inserting substrings or adding counters (see examples).

Just load the RRENAME.VLX using APPLOAD or ACADDOC.LSP. Start renaming by entering the RRENAME command. It prompts for a type of object to rename (in Civil 3D, you can also rename some types of Civil objects - poIntgroups/Surfaces/Alignmentstyles/pRofilestyles/sitEs):

Rename [Blocks/Layers/lineTypes/layOuts/Views/Textstyles/
Dimstyles/tAblestyles/Materials/viewPorts/Ucs/Groups] < layOuts>:

Then enter the substring or regular expression to find and the substring or regular expression to replace. A standard text will just perform a search/replace renaming. The "*" character in the search string will be used as a wildcard (in fact as the ".+" regular expression). The "#" character in the replace string will be used as a counter (1,2,3...).

The regular expression strings can match object names in complex schemes. The renaming process will avoid objects like the "Model" layout, the layer "0" or the "ByLayer" linetype.

Regular Expressions allow to specify parentheses "(.+)" as stored groups in the search and refer them in the replace string as "$1", "$2", etc. (in the order). Read more about regular expressions in Wikipedia.

Renaming examples (do not type the double-quotes):

"" (empty string) --> "X"
prefix all characters in the names with "X"

"*" --> "New#"
rename all objects to New1, New2, New3, etc.

"(.+)" --> "Pre-$1-Post"
add "Pre-" as prefix and "-Post" as suffix to all names:
Layer1 --> Pre-Layer1-Post

"(.+)-(.+)" --> "$2-$1"
swap parts of names, like "Layer-Electro" to "Electro-Layer"

"(.{3})(.+)" --> "$1-NEW-$2"
add "-NEW-" after first 3 characters:
Layer1 --> Lay-NEW-er1

"(.+)([0-9]+)" --> "$1-#-NEW"
delete trailing numbers, renumber and add "-NEW":
Layer10 --> Layer-1-NEW
Layer15 --> Layer-2-NEW

"[\x20-\x7F]/g" --> "_"
replace non-ASCII characters with "_", globally (multiple):
Žlu�ouèký --> _lu_ou_k_
Kùò --> K__

Use the srxText utility for similar replacing of drawing texts.