diff --git a/src/components/ContextualMenu/ContextualMenu.Props.ts b/src/components/ContextualMenu/ContextualMenu.Props.ts
index 3d52b61dbe4af4..6c999ba07a97e7 100644
--- a/src/components/ContextualMenu/ContextualMenu.Props.ts
+++ b/src/components/ContextualMenu/ContextualMenu.Props.ts
@@ -75,6 +75,12 @@ export interface IContextualMenuProps extends React.Props<ContextualMenu>, IPosi
    */
   beakWidth?: number;
 
+  /**
+   * Aria label for accessibility for the ContextualMenu.
+   * If none specified no aria label will be applied to the ContextualMenu.
+   */
+  ariaLabel?: string;
+
 }
 
 export interface IContextualMenuItem {
diff --git a/src/components/ContextualMenu/ContextualMenu.tsx b/src/components/ContextualMenu/ContextualMenu.tsx
index 3ff882bbc0fc11..54b91e1dcf454c 100644
--- a/src/components/ContextualMenu/ContextualMenu.tsx
+++ b/src/components/ContextualMenu/ContextualMenu.tsx
@@ -144,18 +144,19 @@ export class ContextualMenu extends React.Component<IContextualMenuProps, IConte
 
   public render() {
     let { className,
-          items,
-          isBeakVisible,
-          labelElementId,
-          targetElement,
-          id,
-          targetPoint,
-          useTargetPoint,
-          beakWidth,
-          directionalHint,
-          gapSpace,
-          isSubMenu,
-          coverTarget } = this.props;
+      items,
+      isBeakVisible,
+      labelElementId,
+      targetElement,
+      id,
+      targetPoint,
+      useTargetPoint,
+      beakWidth,
+      directionalHint,
+      gapSpace,
+      isSubMenu,
+      coverTarget,
+      ariaLabel } = this.props;
 
     let { submenuProps } = this.state;
 
@@ -186,21 +187,24 @@ export class ContextualMenu extends React.Component<IContextualMenuProps, IConte
               ref={ (focusZone) => this._focusZone = focusZone }
               rootProps={ { role: 'menu' } }
               >
-              <ul className='ms-ContextualMenu-list is-open' onKeyDown={ this._onKeyDown }>
+              <ul
+                className='ms-ContextualMenu-list is-open'
+                onKeyDown={ this._onKeyDown }
+                aria-label={ ariaLabel } >
                 { items.map((item, index) => (
                   // If the item name is equal to '-', a divider will be generated.
                   item.name === '-' ? (
                     <li
                       role='separator'
                       key={ item.key || index }
-                      className={ css('ms-ContextualMenu-divider', item.className ) }/>
+                      className={ css('ms-ContextualMenu-divider', item.className) }/>
                   ) : (
                       <li
                         role='menuitem'
                         title={ item.title }
                         key={ item.key || index }
-                        className={ css('ms-ContextualMenu-item', item.className ) }>
-                          { this._renderMenuItem(item, index, hasCheckmarks, hasIcons) }
+                        className={ css('ms-ContextualMenu-item', item.className) }>
+                        { this._renderMenuItem(item, index, hasCheckmarks, hasIcons) }
                       </li>
                     )
                 )) }
@@ -217,26 +221,37 @@ export class ContextualMenu extends React.Component<IContextualMenuProps, IConte
 
   private _renderMenuItem(item: IContextualMenuItem, index: number, hasCheckmarks: boolean, hasIcons: boolean) {
     let { expandedMenuItemKey, subMenuId } = this.state;
+    let ariaLabel = '';
+
+    if (item.ariaLabel) {
+      ariaLabel = item.ariaLabel;
+    } else if (item.name) {
+      ariaLabel = item.name;
+    }
 
     if (item.onRender) {
       return item.onRender(item);
     }
 
     return React.createElement(
-            'button',
-             { className: css('ms-ContextualMenu-link', { 'is-expanded': (expandedMenuItemKey === item.key) }),
-               onClick: item.onClick || (item.items && item.items.length) ? this._onItemClick.bind(this, item) : item.href ? () => { location.href = item.href; } : null,
-               onKeyDown: item.items && item.items.length ? this._onItemKeyDown.bind(this, item) : null,
-               onMouseEnter: this._onItemMouseEnter.bind(this, item),
-               onMouseLeave: this._onMouseLeave,
-               onMouseDown: (ev: any) => this._onItemMouseDown(item, ev),
-               disabled: item.isDisabled,
-               dataCommandKey: index,
-               role: 'menuitem',
-               href: item.href,
-               'aria-haspopup': item.items && item.items.length ? true : null,
-               'aria-owns': item.key === expandedMenuItemKey ? subMenuId : null },
-             this._renderMenuItemChildren(item, index, hasCheckmarks, hasIcons));
+      'button',
+      {
+        className: css('ms-ContextualMenu-link', { 'is-expanded': (expandedMenuItemKey === item.key) }),
+        onClick: item.onClick || (item.items && item.items.length) ? this._onItemClick.bind(this, item) : item.href ? () => { location.href = item.href; } : null,
+        onKeyDown: item.items && item.items.length ? this._onItemKeyDown.bind(this, item) : null,
+        onMouseEnter: this._onItemMouseEnter.bind(this, item),
+        onMouseLeave: this._onMouseLeave,
+        onMouseDown: (ev: any) => this._onItemMouseDown(item, ev),
+        disabled: item.isDisabled,
+        dataCommandKey: index,
+        role: 'menuitem',
+        href: item.href,
+        title: item.title,
+        'aria-label': ariaLabel,
+        'aria-haspopup': item.items && item.items.length ? true : null,
+        'aria-owns': item.key === expandedMenuItemKey ? subMenuId : null
+      },
+      this._renderMenuItemChildren(item, index, hasCheckmarks, hasIcons));
   }
 
   private _renderMenuItemChildren(item: IContextualMenuItem, index: number, hasCheckmarks: boolean, hasIcons: boolean) {
@@ -245,17 +260,17 @@ export class ContextualMenu extends React.Component<IContextualMenuProps, IConte
         {(hasCheckmarks) ? (
           <span
             className={
-              css('ms-ContextualMenu-checkmark', {'ms-Icon ms-Icon--check': item.isChecked, 'not-selected': !item.isChecked})
+              css('ms-ContextualMenu-checkmark', { 'ms-Icon ms-Icon--check': item.isChecked, 'not-selected': !item.isChecked })
             }
             onClick={ this._onItemClick.bind(this, item) } />
         ) : (null) }
         {(hasIcons) ? (
           <span className={ 'ms-ContextualMenu-icon' + ((item.icon) ? ` ms-Icon ms-Icon--${item.icon}` : ' no-icon') }/>
-        ) : (null)}
+        ) : (null) }
         <span className='ms-ContextualMenu-itemText ms-fontWeight-regular'>{ item.name }</span>
         {(item.items && item.items.length) ? (
           <i className={ css('ms-ContextualMenu-submenuChevron ms-Icon', getRTL() ? 'ms-Icon--chevronLeft' : 'ms-Icon--chevronRight') } />
-        ) : (null)}
+        ) : (null) }
       </div>
     );
   }
diff --git a/src/demo/pages/ContextualMenuPage/examples/ContextualMenu.Basic.Example.tsx b/src/demo/pages/ContextualMenuPage/examples/ContextualMenu.Basic.Example.tsx
index 1e794a2a8c12c2..ddc234e48215b9 100644
--- a/src/demo/pages/ContextualMenuPage/examples/ContextualMenu.Basic.Example.tsx
+++ b/src/demo/pages/ContextualMenuPage/examples/ContextualMenu.Basic.Example.tsx
@@ -14,14 +14,14 @@ export class ContextualMenuBasicExample extends React.Component<any, any> {
   public render() {
     return (
         <div>
-          <Button onClick={this._onClick}> Click for ContextualMenu </Button>
+          <Button onClick={ this._onClick }> Click for ContextualMenu </Button>
             { this.state.isContextMenuVisible ? (
           <ContextualMenu
             shouldFocusOnMount={ true }
-            targetPoint={this.state.target}
-            useTargetPoint={true}
-            onDismiss={this._onDismiss}
-            directionalHint={ getRTL() ? DirectionalHint.bottomRightEdge : DirectionalHint.bottomLeftEdge}
+            targetPoint={ this.state.target }
+            useTargetPoint={ true }
+            onDismiss={ this._onDismiss }
+            directionalHint={ getRTL() ? DirectionalHint.bottomRightEdge : DirectionalHint.bottomLeftEdge }
             items={
               [
                 {