For Windows: Better File Rename
For Mac: A Better Finder Rename
I've used them to rename thousands of files in a single batch. It's an awesome app and worth every penny.
I found these articles really helpful:
How to organize your computer like an archivist
For the pictures.. About the structure
>> "Use your folders for storage, not organization.
If you are on osx I can really recommend use this program for renaming files:
also Gemini 2 to find duplicates, eventhough it's not perfect it did the best job from what I could find.
If you are interested I can give you an update with the naming-structure I set when I get home.. It takes a lot of time but it is doable!
iOS or macOS?
For macOS I use A Better Finder Rename. In the past I was responsible for maintaining a photo library for a sports team and would get photos from lots of sources all with crappy names. This application makes it easy to bulk rename them based on a zillion criteria and with hundreds of combinations of data. It even can made file name changes based on EXIF file.
They also have a trial.
http://www.publicspace.net/ABetterFinderRename/index.html
This is the ultimate file renaming tool. Works with all kinds of file types, supports advanced things like regex and you can save and reuse presets (rules).
Before Yosemite's Finder added batch renaming, I was a fan of "A Better Finder Rename."
I still use Noodlesoft's excellent "Hazel" for some file management tasks. It works with "watched folders" and can rename files automatically too.