Quinceañero is a Spanish term commonly used for the male celebrant of a traditional fifteenth-birthday event.
The better-known word quinceañera traditionally refers to a girl or young woman celebrating her fifteenth birthday. Some families and communities adapt the custom for boys, using quinceañero for the celebrant. The masculine ending distinguishes the term grammatically from the traditionally feminine form.
Usage is not identical everywhere. A family may call the event a quinceañera because that name is widely recognized, even when the honoree is a boy, or may use a more general phrase such as a fifteenth-birthday celebration. These variations reflect the living nature of the tradition.
Quinceañero should not be confused with chambelán. A chambelán is generally an attendant in the court of honor, whereas quinceañero identifies the principal male celebrant. The two roles are therefore not interchangeable.