Quinceañera identifies the person celebrating a traditional fifteenth birthday.
In standard Spanish usage, quinceañera is the feminine term for a girl or young woman celebrating her fifteenth birthday. By extension, the word is also widely used for the celebration itself, especially in English-language contexts. The meaning is determined by sentence context.
The related masculine term is quinceañero, but that word is not the feminine form. Dama refers to a female attendant, while madrina usually refers to a female sponsor or godmother-like participant. These roles should not be treated as synonyms.
The celebration can include religious, family, and cultural elements, but the word itself primarily points to the fifteenth-birthday celebrant. Modern families may adapt the tradition, including changing its scale, location, clothing, music, or ceremonial details.