What Spanish term can also mean a girl celebrating her fifteenth birthday?

Quinceañera is the Spanish term for a girl celebrating her fifteenth birthday.

In English, the word commonly describes both the person and the celebration. Spanish usage can distinguish the feminine quinceañera from the masculine quinceañero, although the masculine term is less commonly associated with a standardized ceremony in many communities.

The term is connected with quince, meaning fifteen, and años, meaning years. The spelling includes the ñ, a letter pronounced differently from n in Spanish. English-language writing often keeps the original spelling, though informal versions without the accent or tilde also appear.

The word should not be treated as a universal label for exactly the same ceremony everywhere. Customs differ throughout Mexico, Central America, South America, the Caribbean, Spain-influenced communities, and the United States. The shared term identifies the fifteenth-birthday tradition, while the details are shaped by local culture and family choice.