FWIW there is rename and there is rename ... on Debian (and Devuan in my case) at least, further information:

TL/DR;

NB: the Debian provided version of rename that comes with perl is a "deprecated program in use:" ... but there is a replacement version (perhaps exactly the same) from a standalone package.

# aptitude show rename
Package: rename                         
Version: 0.20-4
State: not installed
Priority: optional
Section: perl
Maintainer: Debian Perl Group <pkg-perl-maintainers@lists.alioth.debian.org>
Architecture: all
Uncompressed Size: 36.9 k
Depends: perl
Conflicts: libfile-rename-perl
Replaces: libfile-rename-perl
Provides: libfile-rename-perl
Description: Perl extension for renaming multiple files
 This package provides both a perl interface for renaming files (File::Rename) and a command line tool 'rename' which is intended to replace the version currently supplied by the perl package.
Homepage: https://metacpan.org/release/File-Rename



$ rename 's/H/J/' 6H9A00*
Deprecated program in use: rename as shipped with the Debian perl package will be removed after the release of stretch. Please install the separate 'rename' package which will provide the same command.


$ which rename
/usr/bin/rename


$ file /usr/bin/rename
/usr/bin/rename: symbolic link to /etc/alternatives/rename


$ ls -lart /etc/alternatives/rename
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 16 May 12 08:57 /etc/alternatives/rename -> /usr/bin/prename


$ file /usr/bin/prename
/usr/bin/prename: Perl script text executable


# apt-get install rename
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree      
Reading state information... Done
The following NEW packages will be installed:
  rename
0 upgraded, 1 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
Need to get 12.5 kB of archives.
After this operation, 36.9 kB of additional disk space will be used.
Get:1 http://ftp.au.debian.org/debian stretch/main amd64 rename all 0.20-4 [12.5 kB]
Fetched 12.5 kB in 0s (65.0 kB/s)
Selecting previously unselected package rename.
(Reading database ... 283269 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to unpack .../archives/rename_0.20-4_all.deb ...
Unpacking rename (0.20-4) ...
Setting up rename (0.20-4) ...
update-alternatives: using /usr/bin/file-rename to provide /usr/bin/rename (rename) in auto mode
Processing triggers for man-db (2.7.6.1-2) ...



# which rename
/usr/bin/rename


# ls -lart /usr/bin/rename
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 24 May 12 08:57 /usr/bin/rename -> /etc/alternatives/rename


# ls -lart /etc/alternatives/rename
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 20 Oct  7 21:01 /etc/alternatives/rename -> /usr/bin/file-rename


# file /usr/bin/file-rename
/usr/bin/file-rename: Perl script text executable