French historians believe that Bush is a corruption of the name Boucher (butcher).
The apparent connection was uncovered by a reporter on Le Figaro in a book on French America, Histoire de l'Amerique Française.
The paper suggested that was why the president's official biographers never traced the family tree beyond 1850.
"Perhaps that is the moment when the Boucher of the old world became the Bush of the new?" Le Figaro said.
Americanising French surnames was commonplace in the early 1800s. Desrochers, became Stone and Auclair became O'Clair. Yesterday Le Figaro revelled in its discovery, suggesting that it could tip the election in Mr Kerry's favour.
"With a name like Boucher, Mr Bush may even lose the vegetarian vote," it said. Such is the climate of American francophobia after France's opposition to the Iraq invasion that any mention of the F-word could be damaging.
Mr Kerry has played down the fact that he has a French cousin, Brice Lalonde, who was the environment minister in Franois Mitterrand's government. He has been urged not to give interviews to US newspapers.
When questioned about Mr Kerry's Gallic ties, White House officials came up with the worst insult they could think of. "He looks French," they said.
By Henry Samuel in Paris
(Filed: 30/10/2004)
copyright of Telegraph Group Limited
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