What Spanish name is commonly used for the formal court at a quinceañera?

The formal court at a quinceañera is commonly called the corte de honor, meaning “court of honor.”

The corte de honor traditionally consists of friends or relatives who accompany the celebrant during the ceremony and reception. Depending on local custom, it may include damas, or young women, and chambelanes, or young men. Its members may participate in a choreographed entrance or formal dance.

The phrase should not be confused with the broader word quinceañera, which can refer both to the celebration and to the girl being honored. The size and composition of the corte de honor are flexible rather than universal.

Modern celebrations often adapt the tradition. Some honorees select a mixed-gender group, a smaller group, or no formal court at all. Even when the format changes, corte de honor remains the established Spanish term for the ceremonial attendants.