On the Andy Griffith show, were Andy and Barney related?

Early on in the show, it's mentioned that they are cousins, however throughout the rest of the show, on numerous occasions, it's discussed that they are in no way related.

My guess is they originally planned on writing that in, but later through the progression of the show, they decided to go in a completely different direction.

Additionally, Wiki states:

Early in the series, Andy and Barney comment that they are cousins. However, several episodes muddy the lineage and suggest that Barney may not be directly related to the Taylors. On "Aunt Bee's Invisible Boyfriend", Barney tells Andy, "If she (Aunt Bee) were my aunt, I'd wanna investigate this fella" (no familial Taylor ties). In one porch dialog, Barney speaks to Andy about buying his folks a septic tank for their anniversary. Andy does not refer to them as aunt and uncle (no familial Fife ties). On several occasions, Aunt Bee reminded Andy that, "he's YOUR friend" (suggesting no blood kin to either Taylor). While one can rule out a shared Taylor bond, the two could be related via Andy's maternal side, or even via Andy's late wife. Yet in another installment, "Cousin Virgil", Andy is introduced to Barney's backward cousin, who is obviously not related to the sheriff. Genetics aside, the two are best friends, having grown up together in Mayberry.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barney_Fife