The young woman celebrated at the event is commonly called the quinceañera.
The term comes from quince, the Spanish word for 15, with a feminine ending referring to a girl or young woman. In everyday English, quinceañera can also mean the celebration itself, so the surrounding sentence determines whether it describes the person or the event.
The masculine form quinceañero is used in some contexts for a boy’s comparable celebration, although terminology and practices differ among communities. Modern families may also adapt the tradition beyond its historical focus on girls.
The word should not be confused with quince, which can mean the number 15 or the quince fruit in Spanish. In a celebration context, quinceañera points to the honoree or the fifteenth-birthday event.