In a quinceañera ceremony, padrinos most commonly means sponsors.
Padrinos are people who support the celebration, financially or by providing particular items and services. Depending on the family and community, sponsors may help with clothing, the cake, music, flowers, religious objects, or other expenses. Their involvement reflects the wider network of relatives and family friends surrounding the milestone.
The word is related to padrino, meaning “godfather” or “male sponsor”; padrina or madrina is used for a female sponsor, and padrinos can refer collectively to sponsors. The role does not have one fixed list of duties in every quinceañera.
Padrinos are different from the court. Court members accompany the celebrant in formal activities, while sponsors contribute support. A sponsor may also be a relative or court member, but those are separate descriptions of the person’s roles.