What term describes the young woman who is celebrated at a quinceañera?

The term quinceañera describes the young woman who is celebrated at the event.

In everyday English, the same word often names the entire fifteenth-birthday celebration. In Spanish-language usage, context helps distinguish the celebrant from the party itself. The masculine counterpart for a boy’s celebration is quinceañero, but that is a different term.

The word is associated with the Spanish-speaking cultural tradition of marking a girl’s fifteenth birthday. It is not a universal label for every fifteenth birthday; the term generally implies a formal celebration with cultural or family significance.

A quinceañera may have a court, including damas and chambelanes, but those terms refer to attendants rather than the central celebrant. Likewise, a madrina is typically a sponsor or honored godmother figure, not the young woman whose birthday is being marked.