年前

before the end of the year / before the new year

by the end of the year / at the end of the year; shortly before New Year

surname Nian

year / CL:個|个[ge4]

grain / harvest (old) / variant of 年[nian2]

front / forward / ahead / first / top (followed by a number) / future / ago / before / BC (e.g. 前293年) / former / formerly