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The surname Bushee has two and at times, three distinct pronunciations. The first one is "Boo shay ,the second one with the long e as in Bush eee and the third one the shorter e as in "Bushi" The origin of the name is perhaps not consistent among all those who carry the name.Some families claim an Anglo-Saxon origin relating to bushes et al. As in the town of Bushey in England. Then there are some who claim they descend from a Swiss/French/German family:"Buschi" who was a Huguenot who fled France at the "Massacre de Wassy(or Vassy)" during the reformation times and the revoking of the Edict of Nantes. These descendants seem to be for the long e pronunciation as in Bush eee. There are many,particularly in the New England States who believe the name to be a spelling variant of the trade of butcher as in "Boucher". These descendants seem,for the most part, to opt for the French sounding name with the pronunciation of "Boo shay" with the spelling of Bushee and/or Bushée. There are some who for whatever reason have gone along with a popular pronunciation as in "Bushi" as in the Japanese for Samurai noble.All in all, there is no explanation or legend which seems to be 100¨% factual and able to meet with everyone's approval. In brief,it seems to be mostly but perhaps not always a French name that entered the English speaking world soon after the beginning of the Reformation,and which has undergone some spelling changes. It also appears that those who carry this name are not necessarily related or from the same progenitor. A DNA project for the name would certainly put an end to many of the various theories about the name.