The high school was named after the Native American chief Manteo, who assisted the Roanoke Colony.

In addition to Manteo it serves Nags Head and other parts of Roanoke Island (including Wanchese) as well as portions of Dare County on the North Carolina mainland (including Manns Harbor and Stumpy Point).

[4] Former State Board of Education member, Eddie Davis, spoke against the Redskins mascot during the public comment period of a Dare County Board of Education meeting in Sept 2008.

Following the murder of George Floyd and the Washington Redskins name controversy in 2020, rival campaigns to either retire or retain the mascot circulated.

[5] In June, 2020 the chief of the local Algonquian Indians of NC Roanoke-Hatteras Council issued a statement requesting the mascot be removed.