Quince años means “fifteen years” and appears in the name of the quinceañera tradition.
The phrase is used in expressions such as fiesta de quince años and misa de quince años. In those compounds, it identifies the milestone being celebrated: the honoree’s fifteenth birthday.
Spanish uses quince for the number fifteen and años for years. The ñ in años is important because anos without the tilde is a different word in Spanish. In English-language writing, the celebration is often shortened to “quince” or called a quinceañera.
The phrase names the age milestone, not a particular religious status or legal transformation. The symbolic meaning of the birthday differs among families: some emphasize maturity, others family heritage, faith, education, or simply a major birthday celebration.