Quinceañera is the Spanish feminine noun for the girl being honored at the celebration.
The word is built from quince, meaning “fifteen,” with a feminine ending. In common English usage, quinceañera can also refer to the entire event, not only to the honoree. Context usually makes the intended meaning clear.
The masculine form quinceañero can describe a boy’s comparable fifteenth-birthday celebration in communities where that version is observed. It is less globally prominent in popular usage than quinceañera.
The term is often written with the ñ, which represents a distinct Spanish letter and sound. English-language writing sometimes replaces it with n, but quinceañera is the standard Spanish spelling. The word does not itself specify a particular dress, ceremony, religion, or party format.