year of a person's death
Used in biographical contexts, obituaries, and historical records to indicate the year someone died.
His year of death is 1989.
この作家の没年は不明だ。
The year of this author's death is unknown.
one's age at death
Less common than the 'year of death' sense; often seen in formal or historical descriptions of a person's lifespan.
My grandfather's age at death was 82.
生年 means 'year of birth', often paired with 没年 to indicate a person's lifespan.
years of birth and death
Standard kanji form; used in news and formal contexts.
Rarely used kanji form; 没年 is overwhelmingly preferred.
Compound of 没 (ぼつ, 'to die; to sink') and 年 (ねん, 'year'). The kanji 没 carries the meaning of 'passing away' in this context.