What Spanish word names the fifteenth-birthday celebrant in a quinceañera?

The Spanish word quinceañera names the girl celebrating her fifteenth birthday.

In ordinary English usage, quinceañera can also mean the party or tradition connected with that birthday. In Spanish, the word’s primary grammatical form is feminine, matching the traditional focus on a girl’s transition at age 15. The masculine counterpart is quinceañero.

The word is built from quince, “fifteen,” and a suffix connected with the person associated with that age or occasion. Its spelling includes ñ, a letter that represents a distinct sound in Spanish. Omitting the tilde changes the written word and can create confusion.

The celebrant’s role is distinct from the roles of sponsors and attendants. A madrina is a female sponsor, while a dama may be one of the female attendants in a formal court. Those participants support the event but are not the person whose birthday is being marked.