In a quinceañera, what Spanish term describes the celebrant’s male counterpart?

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The Spanish term for a male celebrant marking his fifteenth birthday is quinceañero.

Quinceañero is the masculine counterpart of quinceañera. Both words come from quince, “fifteen,” and identify a person associated with a fifteenth-birthday coming-of-age celebration.

Quinceañera traditions are often described through the experience of girls, but boys may also have celebrations using the masculine term. The details depend on family, country, religious background, and contemporary preferences.

Quinceañero should not be confused with chambelán. A quinceañero is the person being celebrated; a chambelán is typically a male member of the court of honor. Spanish grammatical gender distinguishes the two terms even when English descriptions use “quinceañera” broadly for the event.

Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Oct. 2026

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