Definitely because I like the villager. I have a bunch of low tiers in my town but also top tiers that I actually like. I would never get a villager just because it was popular and I didn't even really like them.
It's not a coincidence that the more visually appealing villagers are also the popular villagers. I like them cause they're cute and if they happen to be popular, it just means a lot of other people think the same.