{"id":14531,"date":"2025-09-11T04:47:40","date_gmt":"2025-09-11T04:47:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bodhost.com\/kb\/?p=14531"},"modified":"2026-02-26T14:02:06","modified_gmt":"2026-02-26T14:02:06","slug":"how-to-rename-files-in-linux","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bodhost.com\/kb\/how-to-rename-files-in-linux\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Rename Files in Linux"},"content":{"rendered":"

This guide will illustrate how to retitle files in Linux.<\/p>\n

Retitling files in Linux can be done in several ways, using either command-line<\/a> tools or file managers. You will explore some of the common methods with examples here.<\/p>\n

Let us follow the steps to rename files in Linux:<\/strong><\/h2>\n
    \n
  1. Using the \u2018mv\u2019 Command: The mv (move) command is the most common way to rename a file.\n
      \n
    1. Syntax:\n
      mv old_filename new_filename<\/pre>\n<\/li>\n
    2. Example:\n
      mv report.txt checked_report.txt<\/pre>\n
      This renames \u2018report.txt\u2019 to \u2018checked_report.txt\u2019 in the current directory.
      \nNote: If you specify a different path, the file will be moved instead of just retitled.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n
    3. Using the \u2018rename\u2019 Command: The rename utility is useful for retitling multiple files at once, particularly with patterns.\n
        \n
      1. Syntax:\n
        rename \u2018s\/old_pattern\/new_pattern\/\u2019 files<\/pre>\n<\/li>\n
      2. Example:\n
        rename \u2018s\/.txt\/.bak\/\u2019 *.txt<\/pre>\n
        This retitles all \u2018.txt\u2019 files in the directory to \u2018.bak\u2019.<\/li>\n
      3. The availability of retitle depends on your Linux distribution. Install it if needed:\n
        sudo apt install rename # Debian\/Ubuntu\r\nsudo yum install rename\u00a0\u00a0 # CentOS\/RHEL<\/pre>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n
      4. Using GUI File Manager: If you are using a desktop environment (GNOME, KDE, XFCE, etc.):\n
          \n
        1. Open the file manager.<\/li>\n
        2. Right-click on the file.<\/li>\n
        3. Choose Rename and enter the new name.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n
        4. Using \u2018mmv\u2019 (Multiple Move): The mmv tool lets bulk retitling of files with flexible patterns.\n
            \n
          1. Example\n
            mmv \u201c*.jpg\u201d \u201cimage_#1.jpg\u201d<\/pre>\n
            This renames all \u2018.jpg\u2019 files with a prefix \u2018image_\u2019.<\/li>\n
          2. To install mmv:\n
            sudo apt install mmv # Debian\/Ubuntu<\/pre>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
            This way, you can retitle files in Linux and choose the method that best fits your needs, whether it\u2019s a quick single rename or bulk changes.<\/p>\n
            Learn more tutorial: How to Edit the Hosts File in Windows, macOS, and Linux<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
            This guide will illustrate how to retitle files in Linux. Retitling files in Linux can be done in several ways, using either command-line tools or file managers. You will explore…<\/p>\n
            Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[837],"tags":[1648,1647],"class_list":["post-14531","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-tutorial","tag-rename-files-in-linux","tag-retitle-files-in-linux"],"yoast_head":"\nHow to Rename Files in Linux - Step By Step Guide<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Learn how to rename files in Linux using mv, rename, GUI tools, and more. Follow this guide for tips and best practices for safe retitling.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bodhost.com\/kb\/how-to-rename-files-in-linux\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to Rename Files in Linux - Step By Step Guide\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Learn how to rename files in Linux using mv, rename, GUI tools, and more. Follow this guide for tips and best practices for safe retitling.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.bodhost.com\/kb\/how-to-rename-files-in-linux\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Knowledge Base - bodHOST\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-09-11T04:47:40+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-02-26T14:02:06+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Serena\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Serena\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.bodhost.com\\\/kb\\\/how-to-rename-files-in-linux\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.bodhost.com\\\/kb\\\/how-to-rename-files-in-linux\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Serena\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.bodhost.com\\\/kb\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/ffd3f118493c99471ae5bd4790a55830\"},\"headline\":\"How to Rename Files in Linux\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-09-11T04:47:40+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-02-26T14:02:06+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.bodhost.com\\\/kb\\\/how-to-rename-files-in-linux\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":243,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.bodhost.com\\\/kb\\\/#organization\"},\"keywords\":[\"Rename Files in Linux\",\"Retitle Files in Linux\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Tutorial\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.bodhost.com\\\/kb\\\/how-to-rename-files-in-linux\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.bodhost.com\\\/kb\\\/how-to-rename-files-in-linux\\\/\",\"name\":\"How to Rename Files in Linux - Step By Step Guide\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.bodhost.com\\\/kb\\\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2025-09-11T04:47:40+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-02-26T14:02:06+00:00\",\"description\":\"Learn how to rename files in Linux using mv, rename, GUI tools, and more. Follow this guide for tips and best practices for safe retitling.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.bodhost.com\\\/kb\\\/how-to-rename-files-in-linux\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.bodhost.com\\\/kb\\\/how-to-rename-files-in-linux\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.bodhost.com\\\/kb\\\/how-to-rename-files-in-linux\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Tutorial\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.bodhost.com\\\/kb\\\/category\\\/tutorial\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"How to Rename Files in Linux\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.bodhost.com\\\/kb\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.bodhost.com\\\/kb\\\/\",\"name\":\"Web Hosting Knowledge Base | bodHOST Hosting FAQ\",\"description\":\"\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.bodhost.com\\\/kb\\\/#organization\"},\"alternateName\":\"Web Hosting Knowledge Base | bodHOST Hosting FAQ\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.bodhost.com\\\/kb\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.bodhost.com\\\/kb\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Web Hosting Knowledge Base | bodHOST Hosting FAQ\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.bodhost.com\\\/kb\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.bodhost.com\\\/kb\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.bodhost.com\\\/kb\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/10\\\/Profile-Pic.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.bodhost.com\\\/kb\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/10\\\/Profile-Pic.png\",\"width\":240,\"height\":240,\"caption\":\"Web Hosting Knowledge Base | bodHOST Hosting FAQ\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.bodhost.com\\\/kb\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.bodhost.com\\\/kb\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/ffd3f118493c99471ae5bd4790a55830\",\"name\":\"Serena\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/8bf3c9f6220a13a4d46295ad7c38a0c9e351ca3a57d0e417580c8e8b83a12a50?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/8bf3c9f6220a13a4d46295ad7c38a0c9e351ca3a57d0e417580c8e8b83a12a50?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/8bf3c9f6220a13a4d46295ad7c38a0c9e351ca3a57d0e417580c8e8b83a12a50?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Serena\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.bodhost.com\\\/kb\\\/author\\\/seema\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"How to Rename Files in Linux - Step By Step Guide","description":"Learn how to rename files in Linux using mv, rename, GUI tools, and more. Follow this guide for tips and best practices for safe retitling.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.bodhost.com\/kb\/how-to-rename-files-in-linux\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"How to Rename Files in Linux - Step By Step Guide","og_description":"Learn how to rename files in Linux using mv, rename, GUI tools, and more. Follow this guide for tips and best practices for safe retitling.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.bodhost.com\/kb\/how-to-rename-files-in-linux\/","og_site_name":"Knowledge Base - bodHOST","article_published_time":"2025-09-11T04:47:40+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-02-26T14:02:06+00:00","author":"Serena","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Serena","Est. reading time":"2 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.bodhost.com\/kb\/how-to-rename-files-in-linux\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.bodhost.com\/kb\/how-to-rename-files-in-linux\/"},"author":{"name":"Serena","@id":"https:\/\/www.bodhost.com\/kb\/#\/schema\/person\/ffd3f118493c99471ae5bd4790a55830"},"headline":"How to Rename Files in Linux","datePublished":"2025-09-11T04:47:40+00:00","dateModified":"2026-02-26T14:02:06+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.bodhost.com\/kb\/how-to-rename-files-in-linux\/"},"wordCount":243,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.bodhost.com\/kb\/#organization"},"keywords":["Rename Files in Linux","Retitle Files in Linux"],"articleSection":["Tutorial"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.bodhost.com\/kb\/how-to-rename-files-in-linux\/","url":"https:\/\/www.bodhost.com\/kb\/how-to-rename-files-in-linux\/","name":"How to Rename Files in Linux - Step By Step Guide","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.bodhost.com\/kb\/#website"},"datePublished":"2025-09-11T04:47:40+00:00","dateModified":"2026-02-26T14:02:06+00:00","description":"Learn how to rename files in Linux using mv, rename, GUI tools, and more. Follow this guide for tips and best practices for safe retitling.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.bodhost.com\/kb\/how-to-rename-files-in-linux\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.bodhost.com\/kb\/how-to-rename-files-in-linux\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.bodhost.com\/kb\/how-to-rename-files-in-linux\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Tutorial","item":"https:\/\/www.bodhost.com\/kb\/category\/tutorial\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"How to Rename Files in Linux"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.bodhost.com\/kb\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.bodhost.com\/kb\/","name":"Web Hosting Knowledge Base | bodHOST Hosting FAQ","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.bodhost.com\/kb\/#organization"},"alternateName":"Web Hosting Knowledge Base | bodHOST Hosting FAQ","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.bodhost.com\/kb\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.bodhost.com\/kb\/#organization","name":"Web Hosting Knowledge Base | bodHOST Hosting FAQ","url":"https:\/\/www.bodhost.com\/kb\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.bodhost.com\/kb\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.bodhost.com\/kb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Profile-Pic.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.bodhost.com\/kb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Profile-Pic.png","width":240,"height":240,"caption":"Web Hosting Knowledge Base | bodHOST Hosting FAQ"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.bodhost.com\/kb\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.bodhost.com\/kb\/#\/schema\/person\/ffd3f118493c99471ae5bd4790a55830","name":"Serena","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8bf3c9f6220a13a4d46295ad7c38a0c9e351ca3a57d0e417580c8e8b83a12a50?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8bf3c9f6220a13a4d46295ad7c38a0c9e351ca3a57d0e417580c8e8b83a12a50?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8bf3c9f6220a13a4d46295ad7c38a0c9e351ca3a57d0e417580c8e8b83a12a50?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Serena"},"url":"https:\/\/www.bodhost.com\/kb\/author\/seema\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bodhost.com\/kb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14531","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bodhost.com\/kb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bodhost.com\/kb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bodhost.com\/kb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/21"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bodhost.com\/kb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14531"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.bodhost.com\/kb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14531\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14647,"href":"https:\/\/www.bodhost.com\/kb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14531\/revisions\/14647"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bodhost.com\/kb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14531"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bodhost.com\/kb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14531"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bodhost.com\/kb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14531"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}