The Spanish word quinceañera names the female celebrant of the traditional fifteenth-birthday celebration.
The term is derived from quince años, “15 years,” and the feminine ending -añera identifies a girl or young woman associated with that age milestone. In everyday usage, quinceañera can refer both to the celebrant and, depending on context, to the celebration itself.
The word is often written with the ñ, producing the spelling quinceañera. The related masculine form quinceañero is used in some communities for a boy’s fifteenth-birthday celebration, although usage is less standardized.
English-language writing may omit the accent or replace the ñ, but quinceañera is the standard Spanish spelling. It should not be confused with madrina, which means a female sponsor or attendant.