'Atticus' May Dip in Name Popularity Because of Harper Lee's New Book

— -- The lead character in Harper Lee's classic "To Kill A Mockingbird" lived a second life in American society after the book's publication, turning into a popular baby name in recent years. But now that the reclusive author has released a sequel that portrays the beloved Atticus in darker tones, love for the name may drop.

In the new book released today, "Go Set A Watchman," Atticus Finch expresses racist and segregationist views that conflict with the accepting and moral character that the world fell in love with when "Mockingbird" was published in 1960.

According to the Social Security Administration, the name Atticus has been moving steadily up the list of most popular baby names over the past decade. In 2004, it was ranked the 937th most common name for boys, and by last year, it was number 370.

That data matches up with anecdotal findings at Atticus, a bookstore in New Haven, Connecticut.

"We have had an increase in the last few years ... with more people coming in and saying they want to buy a t-shirt for their nephew or cousin or whoever that has that name," store manager Colleen Carroll told ABC News.

But don't expect the name to continue to remain as popular next year, as the new book may tarnish public opinion.

"Once a public perception of a name changes, it tends to affect the baby name popularity," Babynames.com founder and CEO Jennifer Moss told ABC News.

"For example, after the TV show 'Friends' became a hit, Monica started rising on the charts, until the Monica Lewinsky scandal. It then dropped off," Moss said of the former White House intern involved in a scandal with then-President Bill Clinton.

Moss also cited Adolph and Adolf as another example, as she said the once-common German name predictably dropped off in popularity after World War II due to its association with Hitler.

In New Haven, Carroll said the bookstore does not plan on changing its name in wake of the new character revelations, largely because they were not actually named in honor of Lee's character, even though "all of our customers certainly make that association and we're happy to have them do so."

The bookstore is actually named after Titus Pompionius Atticus, a celebrated ancient Roman author and orator, though Carroll still feels that there is a connection to the much more modern book.

"My belief is that Atticus Finch and Atticus have the same namesake," Carroll said.