The Spanish word quinceañera names the female celebrant at a quinceañera.
The term is formed from quince, “fifteen,” and the feminine ending -añera associated with the person reaching that milestone. In English-language writing, quinceañera is commonly used for both the birthday celebration and the girl being honored, although context usually makes the meaning clear.
The masculine counterpart is quinceañero, a term used for a boy’s 15th-birthday celebration or for the male celebrant in communities where that tradition is observed. Usage is not completely uniform, and local customs influence which terms families prefer.
The word is often written with the ñ and the accent mark on the final a. English publications sometimes omit Spanish diacritics, but quinceañera is the standard Spanish spelling. Related roles have different names: a madrina is a sponsor or honorary attendant, while a dama is commonly one of the young women in the court.