The Spanish word “años” means “years” in the phrase “quince años.”
The letter ñ is important: años means “years,” while anos without the tilde is a different Spanish word referring to anatomical openings. In quinceañera vocabulary, the ñ appears in both quinceañera and años, and accurate spelling preserves the intended meaning.
Quince años literally translates as “fifteen years.” It is commonly used as a shortened name for the celebration, while fiesta de quince años means “fifteen-year party” or, more naturally in English, “fifteenth-birthday celebration.” Spanish accents and the ñ are part of the written language, not decorative marks.