Quinceañero is a commonly used Spanish term for a male celebrant marking his fifteenth birthday in a quinceañera tradition.
The term is the masculine counterpart to quinceañera in communities that celebrate a boy’s fifteenth birthday with a similar event. Another widely used expression is quince años, which can describe the celebration without emphasizing the gender of the honoree. Terminology varies by country, family, and language community.
A quinceañero should not be confused with a chambelán. A chambelán is traditionally a male attendant or escort in the court of a quinceañera. Padrino means godfather or male sponsor, while madrina means godmother or female sponsor. Each word identifies a different role.
There is no universal requirement that boys celebrate their fifteenth birthday in exactly the same way as girls. Some families adapt the music, clothing, ceremony, and court, while others hold a smaller birthday gathering. The shared idea is the milestone at age 15.