Quinceañera is the Spanish word commonly used for both the celebrant and her 15th-birthday celebration.
The word is feminine and comes from quince, meaning “fifteen,” with a suffix associated with a female person. In everyday English, quinceañera often means the entire event, while Spanish usage can also identify the young woman who is being honored.
The celebration has many regional names and variations. Quince años is another widely used phrase, literally referring to fifteen years, and quinces is a familiar shortened form in some communities, especially among Cuban Americans.
Terminology can vary within the same country or family. That is why a formal religious service, a reception, the honoree, and the broader tradition may be described with overlapping expressions rather than one universal label.