Born into the middle of a seven-daughter family with creative and free-spirited parents, Butterfly Boucher's first name was suggested by some divine intervention her mother was experiencing. A picture on an elementary school wall, a print on a dance teacher's leotard, and a 45 rpm single of "The Butterfly Song" (brought home by one of Mrs. Boucher's other daughters) all pointed to the name. Her father had pursued a professional career in music but when that failed, all their possessions were given away and the family piled into the car and traveled to Australia's outback.