Quinceañera is the Spanish word used for the celebrant and her fifteenth-birthday celebration.
The term comes from quince, meaning “fifteen,” combined with a feminine ending related to the person being honored. In Spanish, quinceañera can identify the young woman herself; in English, it commonly also means the party or broader event.
English-language descriptions often spell the word with the ñ and accent mark: quinceañera. The related masculine term quinceañero is used in some communities for a boy’s fifteenth-birthday celebration, though usage and local customs vary.
The word should not be confused with cumpleañera, which simply means a female birthday celebrant and does not specify age 15. That distinction explains why quinceañera is a cultural term rather than just a general birthday word.