What is the traditional name for the girl celebrating a quinceañera?

The girl celebrating a quinceañera is traditionally called the quinceañera.

The same word can describe both the celebrant and, in English, the birthday celebration. In Spanish, context usually makes the meaning clear: a person can be identified as the quinceañera, while the event may be called a fiesta de quince años or quinceañera.

Other words connected with the ceremony refer to different people. A madrina is a sponsor or godmother, a dama is commonly a female attendant, and a chambelán is traditionally a male escort or court member. Those terms are not synonyms for the birthday girl.

Modern celebrations are flexible. Some families adapt the court, clothing, music, and ceremony to suit the celebrant, and quinceañera traditions may also be used for celebrations honoring boys or young people with different identities. The central term nevertheless remains tied to the traditional fifteenth-birthday custom.