Cocky I would apply to men more than to women. Its association is with cocks (cockerels/male chickens) and cock is slang for a penis. Cocky is an informal version of cocksure, I believe, and cocksure derives from Godsure = presumptuously arrogant and self-confident. I would use arrogant in it's usual sense, and in general. I feel 'cocky' veers towards 'overly self-confident.' It is applied to certain types of people. The most frequent use might be in the phrase 'cocky little bastard.' It's a type of swaggering, very self-assured, impudent, often small man, from the working classes. Cocky men are often 'cheeky' and conceited. It is very different from the 'haughty' arrogance that one associates more with upper-class people, or upper middle-class. Before anybody shoots me down, I should add that these are stereotypes, and I know it. However, in a novel, the author usually chooses 'cocky' for the working class villain or hero (and yes, 'cocky' is not always seen as a bad thing!) and 'haughty' for the upper-class villain or hero, or more likely... the splendidly uppercrust grandmother of the hero.. all black lace and stern looks. Any vocabulary here that you need explaining... uppercrust, veer, etc. ... please contact me. But I think you'll get the general idea of who might fit the description 'cocky' and who might fit 'haughty'... both they are both a type of arrogance.

They are nearly identical. Both think they are superior or infallible. If there is any difference, a cocky person would be more boastful, where as an arrogant person might just give off a sense of thinking they are superior.

There's not a lot of difference To me, Arrogance is more about a persons actions. The person behaved in a way that showed high regard for their own importance, and low regard for the benefit of others. Cocky is more about a persons outward appearance of arrogance. The Tough looking man on the street corner presents an outward appearance of arrogance, of superiority, that he would fight you and win (and he knows it). He is Cocky. Literally, he behaves like a cock - a male chicken (also known as a rooster or cock). The cock is known for it's fighting spirit and it is fearless, even when it should not be.

As someone who was born and raised on both coasts on the USA, neither term has anything to do with class. Anyone can be arrogant, but cocky is viewed as substandard English. We need to know the term as it is used in literature but I would only say the word if I were reading aloud or quoting someone.

I generally agree with what everyone has said, however I think 'cocky' has got the connotation that someone is 'uppity' or 'above their station', i.e. trying to be something higher than they're not. It has got classist connotations as Moira said - arrogant could be used of anyone, but cocky generally implies someone trying to get above their class. In a way, 'cocky' says more about the person speaking than the person being spoken about! It can also be used between equals to aggressively put someone down, to imply that they are less than the person who is speaking - 'don't get cocky with me, you *$&#&#*!'