first year; initial year
Refers to the first year after something begins, often in somewhat formal or written contexts. 初年度 is often more common when referring to an accounting, school, or program year.
The company was profitable from its first year in business.
In my first year studying abroad, just getting used to the language was all I could manage.
early years of an era; early years of a reign
Common in historical expressions such as 明治初年 or 昭和初年, referring not necessarily to a single year but to the early part of an era or reign.
In the early years of the Meiji era, Western systems were rapidly adopted.
Many reforms were carried out in the early years of the Meiji era.
Sales grew right from the first year after the company was founded.
初期 refers broadly to the early stage of a period without being limited to a single year, whereas 初年 specifically means the first year or the earliest years of an era.
元年 is the fixed, official first year of an era or reign, while 初年 can refer more loosely to the early years following the start of an era.
末年 refers to the closing years of an era or reign, the opposite of 初年, which refers to its early years.
少年 (a boy or youth) sounds similar to 初年 (the first year) but has a completely unrelated meaning.
A Sino-Japanese compound of 初, associated with 'first' or 'beginning,' and 年, 'year.'