Popularity of bitcoins can be calculated by the adoption level. If the adoption level keeps on increasing day by day, than the bitcoin is gaining popularity, if a small grocery shops starts accepting bitcoins as a mode of payment than it is gaining popularity. If every single person is aware about the pros and cons of bitcoin than it is popular or else it is not.
I think there are some country which its government ban bitcoin, but most people there have known about bitcoin and getting into it. They dont build any grocery shops that accept bitcoin in their country, but do online transaction actively. So, although there is no bitcoin grocery shop, bitcoin still popular there.
People are using it for online transactions that is good, but that brings us to the same point that others who are not involved in online shopping are not aware about the bitcoins, if a common man is aware about the bitcoins then I think it is popular.