Some of us never considered even remotely being popular. I gained some popularity my senior year only because I was the only female geek so all the heterosexual male geeks gravitated towards me. Otherwise, I was the new kid, the kid that reads, the hippie kid, or that strange kid.
I was briefly popular in first and second grade because I could draw both horses and battleships and gave the drawings away.
Although my daughter is quite popular, I personally think popularity is over-rated. It doesn’t get you into med school, but it could get you pregnant.