response: I'm not sure, but becoming a debutante meant that you were old enough for marriage, and one purpose of the coming out was for display her to bachelors.
original_response: normally 18, Originally, the term meant the woman was old enough to be married
history: I've always wanted to be a debutante! I see, I know a debutante comes from an upper-class or aristocratic family. Does that apply to you? Welp, I don't have an aristocratic or upper-class family, so I guess I'm out of luck! At what age do most debutantes have their big, elaborate balls?
knowledge: Originally, the term meant the woman was old enough to be married, and part of the purpose of her coming out was to display her to eligible bachelors and their families with a view to marriage within a select circle.