The traditional Spanish term for the male counterpart of a quinceañera celebration is quinceañero.
The word follows the same linguistic pattern as quinceañera: both derive from quince, the Spanish word for fifteen. A quinceañero celebration marks a boy’s fifteenth birthday, while a quinceañera traditionally marks a girl’s fifteenth birthday. The celebrations can include formal clothing, family gatherings, music, dancing, and religious elements.
Quinceañero celebrations are less widely standardized than quinceañeras, and customs vary significantly by family, country, and community. Some families use the term for the celebrant, while others describe the event simply as a fifteenth-birthday celebration.
A common mix-up is confusing quinceañero with padrino. A padrino is a sponsor or ceremonial godparent, not the birthday celebrant. Likewise, dama usually identifies a female member of a quinceañera court rather than the honoree.