Hi,
So, if you have 1 dc you will have less problem. First of all be sure that the object is not used by nobody (best thing is to restart the DC), when sure, rename it and wait until the resync of the DC (even if there's only one). When finished you should be able to use the new name.
As you said before, the best thing is to recreate the object, I do the same thing because I'm sure it will work. If you have to rename something, follow the procedure above.