Quinceañera is the Spanish feminine noun commonly used for the girl celebrating her fifteenth birthday.
The word derives from quince, meaning fifteen, with a feminine ending. In everyday usage it can refer to the celebrant or, by extension, to the celebration itself. English-language writing often uses the same word for both meanings, which explains why context matters.
The masculine counterpart quinceañero may describe a boy marking a comparable fifteenth-birthday milestone. Quince años and fiesta de quince años are related expressions that emphasize the birthday or the party rather than the person.
Quinceañera should not be confused with madrina, a female sponsor or honored adult, or dama, a member of the court. Those terms identify other participants. Regional vocabulary varies, but the celebrant’s title remains the central meaning of quinceañera in Spanish-speaking communities.