The Spanish name for the girl celebrating her fifteenth birthday is quinceañera. The term can refer both to the celebrant and, in many English-language contexts, to the celebration itself.
The feminine noun is formed from quince años, “fifteen years.” In Spanish, the ñ is important: quinceañera literally connects the idea of fifteen years with the person being honored. The masculine form quinceañero is used less commonly and can describe a boy’s comparable celebration.
Other participants have different titles. A madrina is a female sponsor or ceremonial attendant, a padrino is a male sponsor, and a chambelán is traditionally a male member of the court. These words are not synonyms for the birthday girl.
English usage sometimes spells the word quinceanera without the accent and tilde, especially when keyboards make Spanish characters inconvenient. Quinceañera remains the standard Spanish spelling.