In quinceañera terminology, quinceañera is the Spanish word for the girl being honored.
The term is formed from quince, meaning “fifteen,” and a feminine ending related to a person associated with that age. In everyday English, quinceañera can also mean the entire birthday celebration, but its direct personal sense identifies the honoree.
This dual use explains why descriptions can sound ambiguous: someone may say “the quinceañera wore a pink dress,” referring to the girl, or “we attended a quinceañera,” referring to the event. Context supplies the distinction.
Related Spanish terms identify other participants. A dama is traditionally a female attendant, while a chambelán is traditionally a male attendant. Those roles belong to the court and are not alternative names for the honoree.